Stroke and Women - OmniMedicalSearch.com

Conditions & Diseases: Brain & Nervous System

Stroke

Stroke and Women

Stroke is an important medical issue in a woman's life. In general, a stroke is seen as a medical problem more common among men. In reality, stroke accounts for a higher proportion of death among women than men. A stroke can strike at any age, and despite the fact that it is perceived as an elderly age problem, more than 30 percent of all strokes occur in women under the age of 65. A new study published in 2007 found that more women than men appear to have more middle age strokes. The stroke risk is higher in this age group (35-64) because women tend to have more complications from obesity than men, and experience more high blood pressure and high cholesterol problems. Statistics show that in developing countries, half of all death cases in women over the age of 50 are due to heart diseases and stroke.

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke is the third leading cause of death among American women. In the United States, one in 2.5 women die of a heart disease, stroke or other cardiovascular disorders, compared with one in 30 who dies of breast cancer.

Studies also show that women who survived a stroke have a higher risk than men to undergo a poor recovery. Today more than 2 millions American women live with the consequences of a stroke. Unfortunately, only 13 percent of the adult women know that heart problems and stroke are the greatest threats to their health.

Recognizing the symptoms of a stroke is essential for receiving treatment, reducing the risk of disability and death. Unfortunately, women are more likely to delay receiving treatment than men. Studies also show that women take up to 46 percent longer to get to the hospital than men after the first stroke symptoms occur. One of the reason for delaying treatment is that only a reduced number of women can properly recognize the stroke symptoms.

The common stroke symptoms include:
(1) Sudden numbness, weakness, clumsiness, or paralysis on one side of the body.
(2) Sudden confusion, slurred speech, trouble speaking, or understanding speech.
(3) Sudden blurred vision or loss of sight in one or both eyes.
(4) Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
(5) Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
(6) Loss of balance or unsteadiness.

However, the new research has discovered that women are less likely to experience the traditional stroke symptoms. This can be one of the reasons why women delay treatment.

Some of the additional symptoms experienced by women include:
(1) Loss of consciousness or fainting.
(2) Shortness of breathing.
(3) Sudden face, chest and limb pain.
(4) Sudden hiccups.
(5) Sudden nausea.
(6) Seizure.
(7) Sudden tiredness or general weakness.
(8) Sudden pounding and racing heartbeat (or palpitations).

Women and men share similar risk factors, but women also face gender related risk. Some of the following risk factors are important for women under the age of 55.

Oral contraceptives with a high estrogen content. Oral contraceptives with a high estrogen content seem to be linked to stroke because they increase the risk of blood clots especially in women over the age of 30. This risk is higher in women that smoke, have high blood pressure, and have a blood clotting problem.

Obesity or being overweight. Being obese or overweight increases the risk of stroke related medical conditions. Studies showed that extra pounds built-up in the waist (deep abdominal fat also known as visceral fat) increases the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, and stroke. A large waist size is one of the stroke's predictors in women under the age of 65.

In order to reduce the risk of stroke, women are advised to keep their waist size less than 35 inches, to opt for low calories, low saturated fat, and a low cholesterol diet. A study published in 2001 in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that the risk of stroke reduces by 52 percent in women that consumed diet of mainly fish. The great benefits are achieved by eating fish with darker, oily meat (such as swordfish, mackerel, or salmon) which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Migraines. Research showed that women that suffer migraines associated with visual disturbances (such as flashing dots or blind spots) are 10 times more likely to suffer a stroke if they have other stroke related medical conditions.

Menopause. A decreased level of estrogen after menopause can increase the risk of stroke and other cardiovascular problems.

Hormone replacement therapy. Women that take hormone replacement therapy may have a slightly increased risk of stroke.

Pregnancy and childbirth. The risk of stroke is high in pregnant women or those that recently delivered a baby due to natural body changes. The most common problems associated with pregnancy are high blood pressure, increased production of blood clotting factors, significant blood loss during delivery, increased stress on the heart, and additional fluid volume build-up during the second and third semester of pregnancy. This risk is small in healthy, young pregnant women, but it increases if the woman suffers from other medical conditions such as eclampsia, diabetes, hypertension, and blood vessel malformation.

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com
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