Women have stroke risk factors men do not have

A stroke happens when blood flow to part of the brain is blocked, or a blood
vessel in the brain bursts. Starved of blood, brain cells die.

Stroke is a leading cause of death for women — and **many women do not
know their risk**. The good news attached to that: **4 in 5 strokes are
preventable.**

First, the three hours

Stroke is a medical emergency. B.E. F.A.S.T. and call 9-1-1
immediately. **Some treatments only work if given within the first 3 hours
after symptoms start**, and delay raises the risk of permanent brain damage or
death.

The risk factors specific to women

High blood pressure is a main risk factor, and more than 2 in 5 women
have blood pressure ≥130/80 mm Hg or take medicine for it.

Then three that belong to women alone:

• High blood pressure during pregnancy
• Certain birth control medicines — especially combined with smoking.
  About 1 in 9 women smoke, and the combination is worse than either
  separately
• Higher rates of depression

And one that is arithmetic rather than biology: **stroke risk increases with
age, and because women generally live longer than men, more women have strokes
over their lifetimes.**

Why African American women are at higher risk

Stroke is a leading cause of death among African American women, who are
**more likely to die from a stroke than non-Hispanic white women or Hispanic
women**.

Plus two factors that are not about individual behaviour: **US adults consume
more salt than recommended**, which raises blood pressure across the board;
and sickle cell disease, a common genetic disorder in African Americans
that can cause a stroke — **about 1 in 365 African American babies are born
with it**.

That last one is the item a general stroke-prevention message never mentions,
and the only one on this page that no lifestyle change addresses.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.