F O R W O M E N
4
must-know
facts about stroke
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A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO HEALTHFUL L I V I NG
SPR I NG 2 016
EACH
year, twice as many women
in the U.S. die from stroke as die from
breast cancer. And women are more
likely than men to have a stroke—but
are often unaware of their risk and
what they can do to reduce it.
Here are four things every woman
should know about stroke:
1
A stroke is a brain attack.
Like a heart
attack, a stroke
happens when
the blood supply
to the organ is
cut off. Strokes are usually caused
by a clogged artery that blocks the
delivery of blood and oxygen to the
brain. A stroke can cause brain cells
to die, leading to brain damage or
death.
2
Some risk factors are specific to
women.
The most common risk factors
for stroke for both men and women
are getting older; being overweight;
smoking; having a family history of
stroke; not exercising; and having
high blood pressure, diabetes or high
blood cholesterol.
But for women, the following can
also increase stroke risk:
w
w
Having migraines with auras.
w
w
Having an autoimmune disease,
such as lupus, or a blood-clotting
disorder.
w
w
Using birth control pills or meno-
pausal hormone therapy.
w
w
Being pregnant.
w
w
Being postmenopausal and having
a waist larger than 35 inches and a
triglyceride level higher than
128 mg/dL of blood.
3
You may be
able to reduce
your risk for
stroke with
a healthy
lifestyle.
That includes con-
trolling your blood pressure
and cholesterol levels, being a
healthy weight, exercising, and
not smoking.
4
A stroke is an emergency.
Call 911 if you or someone
else shows signs or symp-
toms of a stroke. Those
include sudden numbness or
weakness in the face, arm or
leg—especially on one side
of the body; sudden confu-
sion or trouble speaking or
understanding; or sudden
severe headache with no
known cause.
Sources: American Stroke Association; National Stroke
Association; Office onWomen’s Health