It has become known why women face stroke more often than men

Stroke remains one of the main causes of disability worldwide, increasingly affecting not only elderly people but also young women in their most active years of life. According to US data, approximately 55,000 more women than men experience strokes annually. Research shows: biology, hormonal changes, and social factors create specific risks for women.

As reported by BAKU.WS, this was announced by The Conversation portal.

Some of the key mechanisms are related to pregnancy. Conditions such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia are accompanied by increased blood pressure and damage to internal organs. This increases the likelihood of stroke both during pregnancy and years later, as high blood pressure damages the vessels supplying the brain.

Some types of hormonal contraception may also affect risk. Combined oral contraceptives containing estrogen increase blood clotting tendency and can raise blood pressure. Particularly high risks are noted in smoking women over 35 years of age and those who suffer from migraine with aura. Medications based solely on progesterone do not have these effects.

Menopause becomes a separate factor. When estrogen levels drop, vascular walls lose elasticity, lipid indicators worsen, making blood vessels more vulnerable. Some forms of hormone replacement therapy may slightly increase the risk of stroke - especially if therapy begins many years after menopause onset.

Special attention is paid to strokes during pregnancy and after childbirth. According to the American Heart and Stroke Association, expectant and recent mothers suffer strokes three times more often than other women of their age.

Diagnosis creates additional complexity. Women more often report atypical stroke symptoms - headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion - causing doctors to mistake their condition for migraine, anxiety, or stress. This leads to the loss of precious time on which treatment outcomes depend. Subarachnoid hemorrhage - a severe form of stroke that manifests as sudden sharp head pain - is also more common in women, which is associated with falling estrogen levels and weakening of brain arteries.

Despite accumulated data, many stroke risks specific to women are still insufficiently studied. Women remain underrepresented in clinical trials, causing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to often be formed based on data about male physiology.

Experts emphasized: improving the situation is possible only by creating preventive programs that take into account the characteristics of the female body at different life stages. Early diagnosis, awareness of symptoms, and an individual approach to treatment can significantly reduce the global burden of stroke and help reduce the gender gap in mortality and disability.