Health Guide Directory > Stroke Resources
Stroke Warning Signs
Stroke strikes a victim every 45 seconds and each year kills more women than men. If a stroke doesn't kill you, you may suffer devastating effects - problems walking, talking, reading or eating, among other physical or mental disabilities. You may recover after many therapy sessions - or you may not.
Time lost is brain lost in a stroke emergency! For every minute you wait to get help, more brain cells die. You only have three hours after the onset of symptoms to get to an appropriate hospital to be assessed as a candidate for a clot-busting drug that may help reduce the devastation of many strokes.
- Learn to recognize a stroke and call 9-1-1 immediately if you or someone else experiences any of these stroke warning signs:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding, or seeing
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
For more information about stroke, call the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, at
1-888-4-STROKE or visit StrokeAssociation.org
Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Heart Disease and Stroke
Women can take charge of their health by making positive lifestyle changes to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Talk to your doctor. Here are some questions to ask:
Cholesterol
- What is cholesterol and how may it affect my health?
- What is a healthy cholesterol level and how can I reach or maintain a healthy level? How often should it be checked?
- What is my HDL ("good") level, my LDL ("bad") level and my total cholesterol level? What is my trigylceride level?
- Should I be taking medicines such as statins, niacin, or fibrates in addition to working on nutrition and exercise?
High Blood Pressure
- What is high blood pressure and how may it affect my health?
- What is my optimal blood pressure and how can I maintain it?
- Should I be on blood pressure lowering medicine in addition to following a healthier lifestyle?
Obesity
- What is a Body Mass Index (BMI) and what range is healthy for me?
- At what weight would I be considered overweight or obese?
- How can I reach or maintain a healthy weight?
- What kind of physical activity should I do?
Smoking
- How does smoking affect my heart health and how can I quit smoking?
- How can I avoid possible weight gain after I quit smoking?
Diabetes
- What is diabetes and how may it affect my heart health?
- What are the risk factors for diabetes?
- Diabetes runs in my family. How can I prevent it?
Physical Activity
- How much physical activity should I engage in?
- What can I do to increase my physical activity levels?
Risk
- Would you assess my risk for heart disease based on the risk factors mentioned above?
- What are my risk factors for heart attack and stroke?
- How would I know if I am having a heart attack or stroke?
- What should I do if I think I'm having a heart attack or stroke?
Source: American Heart Association
Facts About Women’s Heart Disease and Stroke Risk Factors
High Blood Pressure
- High blood pressure is a leading cause of stroke. More men than women have high blood pressure until age 55. From age 55 and older, the percentage of women with high blood pressure continues to increase.
Smoking
- 20.7 percent of American women age 18 and older smoke, putting them at increased risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Cholesterol
- Beginning at age 45, a higher percentage of women than men have total blood cholesterol of 200 mg/dL or higher (levels between 200 and 239 mg/dL are considered borderline high.)
- The risk of heart attack in both men and women is highest when they have lower HDL cholesterol levels (below 40 mg/dL) and higher total cholesterol levels (above 240 mg/dL).
Physical Inactivity
- Physical inactivity is more prevalent among women than men, among blacks and Hispanics than whites, among older than younger adults and among the less affluent than the more affluent.
- A recent study of over 72,000 female nurses indicates that moderate-intensity physical activity such as walking is associated with a substantial reduction in the risk of total and ischemic stroke when compared with physical activity done at an average or casual pace.
Overweight and Obesity
- Each year an estimated 300,000 U.S. adults die of causes related to obesity.
Diabetes
- Two-thirds to three-fourths of people with diabetes will die of some form of heart or blood vessel disease.
- Adults with diabetes have heart disease death rates about two to four times higher than those for adults without diabetes. The risk for stroke is two to four times higher as well. The age-adjusted prevalence of major cardiovascular disease for women with diabetes is twice that for women without diabetes.
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