HIMPower Magazine HimPower November 2017 | Page 26

Women and
Stroke
One in five women in the United States will have a stroke in her
lifetime. Nearly 60% of stroke deaths are in women, and stroke kills
twice as many women as breast cancer. Surprised? You’re not alone.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death for women, yet most women
do not know their risk of having a stroke.
These facts are alarming, but there is some good news: Up to 80% of
strokes can be prevented. This means it is important to know your risk
of having a stroke and to take action to reduce that risk.
Blanche
Teal-Cruise
What Is a Stroke?
A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when blood flow to
an area of the brain is cut off. When brain cells are starved of oxygen,
they die. Stroke is a medical emergency. It’s important to get treatment
as soon as possible. A delay in treatment increases the risk of
permanent brain damage or death.
What Puts Women at Risk of Stroke?
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High blood pressure is a main risk factor for stroke, yet nearly
one in three women with high blood pressure does not know she
has it.
Stroke risk increases with age, and women live longer than men.
This is why 6 in 10 people who die from stroke are women. Also,
the percentage of strokes in women aged 45 or younger is
increasing. Younger women may have different symptoms of
stroke, such as dizziness or headache, than women age 46 and
older do.
Women have some unique risk factors for stroke. Having
high blood pressure during pregnancy raises a woman’s
risk for stroke.
Certain types of birth control medicines may raise stroke risk in
women with high blood pressure, especially if they smoke.
Women are twice as likely as men to experience depression and
anxiety, and women often report higher stress levels than men
do. These mental health issues all raise a person’s risk for stroke.
Not all women are equally affected by stroke. African-American
women are nearly twice as likely to have a stroke as white women,
mainly because of having high blood pressure, being overweight, and
having diabetes.
A smoker for 40 years, Blanche knew her habit was
unhealthy. But she had no idea how it would eventually
affect her health.
When Blanche almost fell down one morning after getting
out of bed, she blamed her dizziness on vertigo, a
condition that makes you feel dizzy or lightheaded. But
when she tried to turn on the light, her arm felt like dead
weight. So she rested a short while until she felt better.
Then she took a shower and drove to work. She had no
idea she had suffered a mild stroke.
When she arrived at work, a coworker noticed that Blanche
was not walking straight. When Blanche spoke, she felt as
if she had to push the words out of her mouth.
Blanche was lucky: When she got to the hospital, she was
diagnosed with a transient ischemic attack, often called a
“mini-stroke.” Unlike major strokes, mini-strokes don’t
cause permanent injury to the brain. But mini-strokes can
lead to a major stroke.
Blanche’s mini-stroke was a wake-up call. Two weeks
after her mini-stroke, Blanche quit smoking for good. Like
many African-American women, Blanche also had high
blood pressure. She now takes medicine to control her
blood pressure and walks her dog every day to stay active.
She sees her doctor regularly and works