{"id":6099,"date":"2026-03-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=6099"},"modified":"2026-03-23T16:57:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T16:57:40","slug":"stroke-symptoms-in-women-can-be-different-from-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/stroke-symptoms-in-women-can-be-different-from-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Women and stroke: Know your risk, recognize the symptoms & take action","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Stroke, like lots of things, doesn\u2019t play fair.<\/p>\n

According to the American Heart Association, women face a higher risk of experiencing a stroke throughout their lifetime than men.<\/a> In fact, stroke<\/a> is among the top five causes of death for women in the United States and a leading cause of disability. By understanding what puts you at greater risk, you can take steps to reduce the odds of having a stroke.<\/p>\n

Stroke risk factors for women<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A stroke occurs when blood vessels in the brain burst or become blocked, depriving brain cells of oxygen and other nutrients. Why are women at higher risk for stroke then men? Part of it has to do with lifespan. In general, women tend to live longer than men<\/a> and a person\u2019s risk of experiencing a stroke increases as they age.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn average, women tend to have strokes at an older age than men and the strokes are often more severe and debilitating,\u201d says Dr. Chuang, MD, PhD<\/a>, a board-certified neurologist at MultiCare.<\/p>\n

There are also other factors at play, namely hormones. Hormonal fluctuations at certain points during the female lifespan can increase the risk of stroke, including pregnancy, including preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, and menopause. Some pregnancy complications can also lead to heightened lifelong stroke risk.<\/p>\n

\u201cA woman\u2019s body has to make a lot of changes in order to accommodate the growth of another human being,\u201d says Dr. Chuang. \u201cDuring pregnancy, women can experience certain conditions, such as very high blood pressure, that can trigger a stroke if not managed properly,\u201d Dr. Chuang says. \u201cPregnancy can also make blood more likely to clot, which can increase stroke risk as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Women go through another set of hormonal changes as they enter menopause. \u201cEstrogen is a hormone that protects women from stroke throughout their lives, but estrogen production diminishes as women age, so their risk of stroke goes up,\u201d Dr. Chuang says. \u201cUnfortunately, hormone replacement therapy hasn\u2019t been shown to decrease stroke risk in post-menopausal women. If anything, it actually may slightly raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other stroke risk factors for women include experiencing migraines with aura \u2014 severe, recurrent headaches accompanied by visual or sensory changes \u2014 as well as some autoimmune diseases and taking some forms of hormonal birth control.<\/p>\n

Stroke symptoms <\/strong><\/h2>\n

Women and men experience mostly the same stroke symptoms as outlined in the acronym BE FAST.<\/p>\n