CoxHealth expert says women’s risk factors differ from those in men
Stroke kills twice as many women each year as breast cancer,
yet most women are
unaware of the risks. In a step to raise awareness and highlight stroke
risks unique to women, the American Heart Association has issued new
guidelines for the prevention of stroke in this group.
“Factors
such as diabetes and high blood pressure during pregnancy can increase a
woman’s stroke risk,” said Debra Mergen, CoxHealth Stroke Center
coordinator.
According to the AHA, the following risk factors are more common in women than
in men, or indicate a higher stroke risk:
· high blood pressure
· migraine with aura
·
atrial fibrillation (an abnormal heartbeat)
·
diabetes
·
depression
·
emotional stress.
To
help manage stroke risk in women, the AHA recommends that pregnant
women with chronic high blood pressure or previous pregnancy-associated
high blood pressure receive risk-lowering
therapy during pregnancy. The recommendations also include screening
women for high blood pressure before prescribing birth control pills,
and strongly recommend that women who have migraines with auras stop
smoking.
Mergen
says the new guidelines offer valuable information for women of all
ages. “It is important to improve stroke awareness in younger women to
reduce their risk of future
stroke,” she said.
The
CoxHealth Stroke Center is the only stroke program in Springfield to
receive the American Heart Association Get With The Guidelines – Stroke
Gold Plus Quality Achievement
Award, and CoxHealth is the only health system in the Ozarks to be
named to the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s
Target: Stroke Honor Roll. CoxHealth was among the first hospitals in
the U.S. to earn The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal
of Approval for certification as a Primary Stroke Center.
For more information about stroke diagnosis, treatment and prevention, and patient stories visit
http://www.coxhealth.com/body.cfm?id=2457.
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