A 55 year old woman has as high as a 27 percent risk of having a stroke before age 65 shares Jesse Slome, director of the American Association for Critical Illness Insurance.

"A study breaks down key factors that increase the 10-year risk of stroke for men and women who are age 55," Slome notes.  "Smoking, diabetes and high blood pressure are key factors that increase the risk."

According to the data, roughly three percent of men with normal blood pressure who are non-smokers and do not have diabetes face a risk of having a stroke prior to age 65.  For women, the percentage is around one percent.

"Stroke is one of the three primary conditions covered by critical illness insurance," Slome explains.  "The good news today is that most stroke victims will survive, especially if they are younger.  The bad news is that survival often comes with a huge financial consequence."

Slome who heads the organization urges men and women to learn more about critical illness insurance.  "We advocate modest amounts of insurance coverage with benefits that might cover six to 18 months of rent or mortgage payments.  You want to focus on your recovery not on how you are going to pay bills following a stroke, heart attack or cancer diagnosis."

The Association posted the full findings of the study on the organization's website.  To access and learn more about critical illness planning, go to www.criticalillnessinsuranceinfo.org.