Stroke Risk Factors

In many women’s minds, stroke exists in the shadows when it should be under the spotlight. Despite having 55,000 more strokes each year than men — 425,000 to 370,000 — few women recognize the threat, according to the National Stroke Association. A 2010 survey revealed 70 percent of women were unaware of their stroke risk relative to men’s.

Prevention begins with knowing stroke’s risk factors. Men and women share several — diabetes, excess weight, family history of the condition, inactivity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking — but women must be mindful of factors distinct to them, including:

• history of migraines
• hormone replacement during menopause
• oral contraceptive use, particularly with high blood pressure
• physiological changes that may take place during pregnancy, such as preeclampsia (high blood pressure)

In February 2014, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association released the first official guidelines for women’s stroke prevention. The organizations recommend primary care doctors test women for high blood pressure before prescribing birth control pills, work to lower patients’ blood pressure before and during pregnancy if it’s high, and consider preeclampsia a stroke risk factor after pregnancy. Also, if you’re older than 75, get screened for atrial fibrillation, a type of irregular heartbeat that may increase stroke risk.

Spread the word to the women you care about — stroke can’t hide anymore.

“F.A.S.T.” is a great way to remember the key symptoms of stroke and quickly determine whether one is occurring. The acronym encourages scrutiny of a person’s Face, Arms and Speech for any signs that are out of the ordinary, and it reminds that Time is of the essence in stroke diagnosis and treatment. But it doesn’t call to mind all stroke symptoms, particularly less common ones that may affect women.

Women-specific stroke symptoms share one characteristic with classic signs — they occur without warning. According to the National Stroke Association, unique symptoms include:

• change in normal breathing rhythm
• chest pain or tightness
• hiccups
• nausea
• skipping or racing heartbeat
• weakness throughout the body

If you notice any of these signs, call 911, and then note the time. Medical personnel will need to know when you first noticed symptoms to determine the best treatment.

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