Women and Stroke
Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults and the third leading cause of death in America. According to the CDC woman are three times more likely to suffer from stroke than man and thus are two times more likely to die from stroke. In fact, twice as many women die of stroke than they do of breast cancer each year. Unfortunately, women are still more concerned about getting tested and minimizing their risk for breast cancer as opposed to stroke. Stroke.org recently published an article aimed at informing women of the unique risk factors they posses.
The following are identified risks that are unique to women.
- Taking birth control pills
- Being pregnant; stroke risk increases during a normal pregnancy due to natural changes in the body such as increased blood pressure and stress on the heart
- Using Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT), a combined hormone therapy of progestin and estrogen, to relieve menopausal symptoms
- Having a thick waist and high triglyceride (blood fat) level; post-menopausal women with a waist size larger than 35.2 inches and a triglyceride level higher than 128 milligrams per liter may have a five-fold increased risk for stroke
- Being a migraine headache sufferer; migraines can increase a woman’s stroke risk 3-6 times, and most Americans who suffer migraines are women
These are just some of the identified risk factors that women should be aware of. To gain further insight on the risk factors of stroke visit the NorthShore University HealthSystem’s neuroscience department.
