Stroke risk in women
MANY people have been misled into believing that a stroke is a man’s disease, but neurosurgeon at the Cornwall Regional Hospital Dr Franz Pencle has rebuffed this claim. He says that contrary to popular belief, strokes affect a greater number of women than men.
“A stroke, also referred to as a cerebrovascular accident, is an event in the vascular supply to the brain which results in either a blockage (infarct) of blood rushing to supply a portion of the brain, or a rupture (haemorrhage) bleed into the brain tissue, destroying a portion of the brain,” Dr Pencle said.
There are a number of factors that increase the possibility of strokes in both men and women such as genetics, hypertension (especially if poorly controlled), atrial fibrillation (arrhythmia) in non-valvular heart disease, obesity, smoking and other poor lifestyle choices. However, Dr Pencle says that there are other factors that are unique to women that could increase the risk of having a stroke, including the use of birth control pills, pregnancy, because of its natural association with hypertension and pressure on the heart, as well and hormone replacement therapy.
He pointed out that preventing stroke could be difficult if the signs are not acted on almost immediately.
“With managing stroke, time is of the essence. With the onset of symptoms, there is a limited time window where the administration of specific medication may assist in reversing symptoms and treating the stroke. This, however, may or may not be available in all hospitals. This is one of the reasons that regular check-ups after age 40 are recommended so that chronic illnesses such as stroke could be detected and managed,” Dr Pencle explained.
But seeking medical assistance with the limited time window to halt the progression of a stroke could be difficult, especially for women who are unaware of the signs.
Unique signs that could be overlooked as normal occurrences causing delay in treatment include hiccups, hallucinations, sudden behavioural change, general weakness, headaches, agitation, pain, nausea or vomiting.
Dr Pencle told
All Woman that other symptoms affecting both men and women that are more invasive and could encourage affected persons to seek immediate medical assistance include sudden confusion, loss of speech or the ability to understand speech, sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arms and/or legs on one side of the body, sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes, and a sudden inability to walk, loss of balance, clumsiness of the hands, or dizziness and seizures.
Dr Pencle said that while treatment is available, prevention is always better.
“Avoiding risk factors associated with strokes is much better than having to treat a stroke, especially its ability to cause lasting disabilities. I therefore advise persons generally to exercise regularly, control your weight, choose a healthy diet, and ensure appropriate control and compliance with medications if you suffer from a chronic illness.
“I also encourage persons to speak to their physician or neurologist about antiplatelet therapy and/or the use of anti-cholesterol medication since those have proven effective in the prevention and stabilisation of plaque,” Dr Pencle advised.
