You can protect yourself from stroke. That’s just as well, considering every 45 seconds, someone in the U.S. has one. It kills about 160,000 people a year, mostly women; annually, about 40,000 more women than men have strokes and over 60 percent of all stroke deaths occur in women.
It’s important to know the risk factors, some of which are preventable and controllable, and to recognize the symptoms so that many of the serious side effects can be avoided.
Blood Pressure: According to the American Heart Association, high blood pressure is the number one controllable risk factor for stroke. Family history and obesity factor in developing high blood pressure and women who take birth control pills or have reached menopause are at higher risk. A healthy lifestyle helps but for many, medications are required.
Cholesterol: High levels of “bad” low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol raise the risk of heart disease and stroke; high levels of “good” high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol lower it. Studies show women’s cholesterol is higher than men’s from age 45 on and that low levels of HDL cholesterol seem to...