But what if you could prevent it with a morning cup of coffee?

A new study shows women who get a daily jolt from coffee have a lower risk of stroke.

Swedish researchers followed the health habits of nearly 35,000 women ages 49 to 83 for 10 years.

They discovered that the women who drank at least one cup of coffee per day had a 22 to 25 percent lower risk of stroke than those who drank less or none at all.

Experts aren't sure exactly why coffee is such a stroke antidote.

Researchers suspect it may reduce inflammation and help make the body more responsive to insulin.

But it may also be that women who don't drink coffee were exposed to another unknown risk factor.

If you're not a java drinker, there are other ways to reduce your risk. The biggest stroke culprit is high blood pressure, which is commonly known as the "silent killer" because often there are no symptoms.

If you don't know your blood pressure reading, talk to your doctor. It could save your life.