2014 Guidelines for Stroke Prevention in Women

The fifth leading cause of death in men and the third-leading cause of death in women, stroke risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and smoking. New evidence now suggests that other additional factors may raise stroke risk among women.  Preeclampsia, a condition in which blood pressure rises during pregnancy, places women at twice the risk of a stroke and four times the risk of high blood pressure later in life. As well, use of birth control pills while hypertensive may also raise stroke risk.  Other risk factors more common in women than men include migraine with aura, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, depression and emotional stress. Writing that: “We provide current evidence, research gaps, and recommendations on risk of stroke related to preeclampsia, oral contraceptives, menopause, and hormone replacement, as well as those risk factors more common in women, such as obesity/metabolic syndrome, atrial fibrillation, and migraine with aura,” the study authors submit that: “To more accurately reflect the risk of stroke in women across the lifespan, as well as the clear gaps in current risk scores, we believe a female-specific stroke risk score is warranted.”