Women’s Stroke Risk
Thursday, May 15, 2008

About 700,000 strokes occur each year in the United States, approximately one-fourth of which are fatal and an additional one-fourth of which leave patients permanently disabled. Men and women share a number of stroke risk factors but women also have a few that are unique. Dr. Ken Davis explains more about women’s stroke risk in today’s 60 Second Housecall.

Men traditionally have had a greater risk of stroke than women. And while some risk factors are the same for men and women, there are several that are unique to women.

Risk factors that are the same for men and women include:

� A family history of stroke

� High blood pressure

� High cholesterol

� Smoking

� Diabetes

� Being overweight, and

� Not exercising

Risks that are more unique to women include:

� Taking birth control pills

� Being pregnant; stroke risk increases during pregnancy due to natural changes in the body such as increased blood pressure and workload on the heart

� Using Hormone Replacement Therapy to relieve menopausal symptoms

� Being post-menopausal with a thick waist and high triglyceride level; increases stroke risk five-fold

� Having migrane headaches; migraines can increase a woman's stroke risk 3-6 times

For North Mississippi Medical Center, I’m Dr. Ken Davis.