Women and stroke: Why pregnancy and hormonal factors need closer attention, and how treatment and prevention work

Women have stroke risk factors linked to pregnancy, contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapy. Take a closer look at what Dr Sanjay Saxena says about prevention and management.

New Delhi: Stroke is a major cause of death and long-term disability in women worldwide. Although the underlying mechanisms of stroke are similar in both sexes, women have unique risk factors, clinical considerations, and challenges in prevention and management.

Sex-specific risk factors

In addition to conventional risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, smoking, and atrial fibrillation, women have several sex-specific risk factors. These include pregnancy, the postpartum period, preeclampsia, eclampsia, oestrogen-containing oral contraceptives, and certain forms of menopausal hormone therapy. Migraine with aura, particularly when associated with smoking or oestrogen-containing contraceptives, is an important consideration in young women. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are........

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