Every year, approximately 120,000 Americans under age 50 suffer a stroke, often with no obvious risk factors. But that may be changing.

A study published in the journal Stroke looked at 1,000 people ages 18 to 49; about half had suffered an ischemic (clot-related) stroke that seemed to come out of the blue, while the others were healthy.

The researchers found that having one nontraditional risk factor such as migraine with aura, kidney or liver disease, blood disorders, autoimmune diseases, or cancer boosted a woman's risk of stroke by a mind-blowing 70%. And in most people, each additional nontraditional risk factor increased stroke risk by another 70%.

That’s very risky business.

In contrast, the addition of each traditionally recognized risk factor such as high blood pressure, diabetes, elevated LDL cholesterol, smoking, obesity, inactivity, stress, and depression increased most people's stroke risk by around 40%.

This means that if you’re younger than 50 and have any of the nontraditional risk factors, it's important to discuss your potential for suffering a stroke with your doctor.

Pay attention to inflammatory molecules and factors related to blood clotting that blood tests can spot. In addition, aggressively manage migraine, create a plan for treating liver, kidney, or cancer-related issues, and control symptoms of any autoimmune disease or blood disorder.

It's also important not to smoke anything, avoid highly processed foods, get regular exercise, and not drink too much — all of those activities make nontraditional risk factors even riskier.

And for even more help protecting your cardiovascular system, check out the anti-inflammatory powers of therapeutic plasma exchange.