Stroke: Risk factors women need to be aware of

Stroke affects more women in India than we realise.

"The stroke ratio is 60% men and 40% women, from 140 new stroke cases per 1 lakh per population. These are the figures for India," said Dr Jeyaraj Pandian of the World Stroke Organisation.

The risk of stroke increases as you get older however, it can affect women as early as 18-years-old.

While the risk of stroke for men and women is common there are certain causes which exclusively occur in women. Dr Jeyaraj Pandian of the World Stroke Organisation explains what causes stroke in women to gain an understanding of what affects our bodies. 

Pandian explains the first cause to be aware of is Atrial fibrillation (AF), it is irregular heart rhythm, without any structural problem in the heart. Even though it occurs in both men and women, the risk factors of stroke increase for women after menopause as the protective effects of hormones diminishes and so increases the risk for women getting a stroke becomes greater.

Pregnancy related stroke is another very important epidemic to be more aware of particularly in India. “Pregnancy itself is a hyper coagulable state (that is) increased tendency for the blood to clot. On top of that if the woman is dehydrated during and after delivery they are at a higher risk for clot formation in the brain arteries and  veins,” said Pandian.

Obesity  on the rise in India is a cause of stroke for women.“Obesity is on the rise in our country (India) among both men and women. This is because of poor unhealthy lifestyle. Junk food, lack of exercise which leads to high BP(blood pressure), high blood sugar and high cholesterol which can all lead to stroke," said Pandian

In today's world where women have to take care of  home life as well as work, Pandia says it is vital to take time to relax and ease your life as emotional stress is another leading cause for stroke.

“Emotional stress is a another cause, for example if someone has high blood pressure and there is a lot of stress your BP (blood pressure) will go up and there is a threshold in which the brain artery they can’t cope with the rise in BP and  it will rupture or cause a blockage in the brain artery,”said Pandian

A change in lifestyle is needed in order to tackle and decrease the risk of stroke. Pandian suggests maintaining your weight according to your height and age.

Pandian recommends eating fruits and vegetables and incorporates cereal and pulses in your diet. Reducing your intake of alcohol and smoking less also decreases the chances of getting a stroke.