Women are at Higher Risk of Stroke than Men

According to the American Stroke Association, stroke ranks third as the most common cause of death among women and kills more females than males.
Experts stress that it is crucially important for public health strategies to consider the unique risk factors for women concerning this important health issue.

On World Stroke Day, experts highlighted a number of biological, lifestyle, and healthcare factors that contribute to the increased risk in women.


The Unique Risks for Female Patients :

Though some risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure and heart disease, are consistent across the sexes, there are several other factors that are especially significant for women.
Hormonal changes due mainly to reproductive health events, such as pregnancy and menopause, play a major role in the elevation of stroke risk.

The use of birth control pills and hormone therapy may further raise the risks, especially in conjunction with other factors such as smoking.

Pregnancy itself raises the possibility for stroke, especially when complications such as toxemia arise. Toxemia is coined by high blood pressure during pregnancy and can double the risk of a future stroke. Unfortunately, this factor is often overlooked in the long-term healthcare planning of women. As Dr. Sumit Singh, Head of Neurosciences at Artemis Hospitals, said: "Women with a history of migraine with aura, especially with a history of smoking and oral contraceptive use, are at an increased stroke risk."

Atypical Stroke Symptoms in Women :

The presentation of stroke symptoms tends to be different between the sexes, making it more challenging for women to get prompt treatment and evaluation.

Some stroke symptoms-they are aware of, such as slurred speech, sudden weakness, or facial droop, across genders. Nevertheless, women frequently present with more vague symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and in extreme cases, even hiccups.
Such minor symptoms can delay the diagnosis and treatment, neither of which is advisable for stroke survival and recovery.

Besides that, the doctor also says "The symptoms such as fatigue, malaise, and nausea in women are often camouflaged-in effect increasing the chances of misdiagnosis.

Lack of quick recognition is a disservice that deteriorates an outcome because timely intervention is crucial."

Heart Health and Lifestyle Risk Factors:

Patients suffering from hypertension and heart disease become the leading causative agents in the risk of stroke in both genders, but certain heart conditions seem to affect women more often.

Atrial fibrillation, commonly referred to as AFib, which simply means abnormal heart rhythm, is one such cause. As a direct result of AFib, patients are at an increased risk of formation of clots that may dislodge and travel to the brain, causing ischemic strokes.
Women are at a somewhat higher risk than men of having severe strokes due to some clot-related events and thus warrant careful monitoring of cardiac health.

In addition to this, other causes include infection and environmental risk factors that contribute to the incidence of stroke; their impact may vary based on regional air quality and other environmental stressors.
While these risk factors draw towards adopting a healthy lifestyle that involves controlling blood pressure and cholesterol, not smoking, and having a balanced diet.

Gender-Specific Approaches to Stroke Recovery and Prevention:

While the core strategies of preventing ischemic strokes remain similar for both males and females; however, with a changing timescale, there is an increasing necessity to more precisely develop different strategies to allow for gender-specific approaches to stroke recovery and rehabilitation.

According to Dr. Atul Prasad, Director and Senior Consultant in Neurology at BLK-MAX Super Speciality Hospital, Stroke recuperation for ladies ought to consolidate all-encompassing methodologies including emotional wellness support, social combination, and individualized actual restoration.

This type of exhaustive methodology can assist with tending to the one-of-a-kind close-to-home and social needs that many female stroke survivors face. Ladies' higher future likewise adds to the expanded requirement for designated recovery and long-haul care systems that address the procured long recuperation time periods and the possibility of numerous strokes over inordinate time.

The imagery of traditional monitoring and health awareness, Women must stay keen on their health to reduce the risk of stroke, especially those with extra risk factors, states, Prasad.

He asserts that women in their reproductive age using oral contraceptives or undergoing estrogen therapy need regular check-ups as these medicines could make them prone to stroke. Long-term follow-ups would also be required for women with a history of toxemia or pregnancy-related difficulties since such risks would affect them much more as they age.

Awareness campaigns and health policies need to emphasize educating women on these unique risk factors and championing proactive management.
Recognizing subtle stroke symptoms and understanding individual risk factors could empower women to seek help soon, culminating in better outcomes.

Stepping AheadConsequences are important when practical to control further oppressive situations.

The implication of this is however yet to be addressed, with a stronger insight that must be followed to such account, thereby conflicting everything that might have contended it-this is to be confused nothing of, other than females marked by this horrible feeling.

Lifestyle changes, medication, and regular screenings for those at risk are some strategies to approach it. It is critical that entry-level healthcare providers focus on gendered approaches to both prevention and recovery in addressing the particular challenges women face in this regard. As emphasized in their statements, knowing these risk factors can save lives by promoting early intervention, thereby reducing long-term complications.

With improved awareness, women can become empoweredto take control of their health, potentially reducing the impact of stroke in individuals in the coming years.