Women and Stroke

Twice as many women die of stroke than breast cancer every year. Stroke and heart disease will kill twice as many women as cancer.

Despite these statistics, women are more worried about their risk of getting cancer (breast and other sites) than their stroke risk. 

More startling statistics:

• Most women think stroke is a "man's disease"  but the truth is more women than men will die from stroke.
• Nearly 20% of women report that they don’t know any risk factors of stroke, such as high blood pressure, smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, obesity and family history.
• More women than men die from strokes, yet 30% of women cannot recognize a stroke symptom.
• Studies have shown that women take up to 46% longer to get to the hospital than men after stroke symptoms begin.
• One-half of all African American women will die from stroke or heart disease.
• African American women have a significantly higher number of strokes than Caucasian women.
• While less than half of strokes will strike women (43%), more women (62%) will die from stroke than men.
• Stroke risk doubles for a woman if a relative in her immediate family has suffered a stroke.
• Stroke can happen to anyone at any age; in fact, more than 30% of strokes occur in women before the age of 65.

The good news is that 80% of strokes are preventable. Understanding strokes or brain attacks and how they affect women is important for the health and well-being for all women. Stroke is treatable; learn to recognize stroke symptoms and realize that stroke is an emergency. The first three hours are the most important, once you pass three hours, there is limited treatment for strokes.  

Women have special stroke risk issues:

Hypertension (high blood pressure)- Nearly 29 million women have hypertension, the leading cause of stroke. Women are at a higher stroke risk if they are obese, take certain birth control pills, are pregnant, have a family history of hypertension, and especially if they smoke. Hypertension puts stress on blood vessel walls and can lead to strokes from blood clots or hemorrhages.
Diabetes- Diabetes affects a person’s ability to move sugar out of the blood stream and into cells. Diabetes is often called “woman’s disease” because after the age of 45 about twice as many women as men develop diabetes. People with diabetes have a higher risk of stroke.
Migraine headaches- The majority of Americans who suffer from migraines are women. Having a history of migraines can increase a woman’s risk of stroke 3 to 6 times. If a woman smokes, has a history of migraines and takes birth control pills, her risk of stroke is increased as much as 34 times!
Pregnancy- Researchers now believe that a pregnancy, and especially the first few months after delivery, can increase a woman’s stroke risk due to the natural changes in the body such as: higher blood pressure, increased production of blood clotting factors, significant blood loss during delivery, increased stress on the heart and additional volume in the second and third trimesters.
Menopausal/Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)- Combined hormone therapy of progestin and estrogen for post menopausal women increases the risk of stroke and heart attack. A recent Women’s Health Initiative study also found no reduction in stroke and heart disease risk for post menopausal women who had a hysterectomy. For every hip fracture that was prevented with hormone therapy, there were 8 more strokes and 8 more invasive breast cancers.
Thick Waist and Triglycerides- Post menopausal women with a waist size of 35.2 inches and a triglyceride level or blood fat level higher than 128 ml/L may increase their stroke risk five times.

If you have one or more of these risk factors talk with your doctor about how to reduce your stroke risk. A recent National Stroke Association poll showed that less than 30% of patients talked to their doctor about stroke during their annual exams.    

In addition to the normal stroke warning signs, a new study reports that up to 62% of women were more likely than men to describe unique stroke symptoms including: face and limb pain, hiccups, nausea, general weakness, chest pain, shortness of breath and palpitations.

Click here to get your stroke risk assessment.


If you experience any of the warning signs of stroke, Call 911 - get to St. John's Hospital Emergency Room. Stroke is a medical emergency --- every second counts. Time lost is brain lost!

St. John's Hospital – ready for the moment you need us.