Stroke Risk in Women: What You Need to Know 

May is Stroke Awareness Month, and it’s important to know how stroke affects women differently from men. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in women. More than 85,000 women die from stroke each year in the United States. 

According to the American Stroke Association, one in five women will have a stroke. Each year, about 55,000 more women than men have strokes. Black women have the highest rate of stroke. 

Why Women Face Higher Stroke Risk 

Certain health conditions and lifestyle factors increase a woman’s chance of stroke. These include: 

• Pregnancy: Pregnant women are three times more likely to have a stroke than non-pregnant women of the same age. 
• Preeclampsia: This is high blood pressure during pregnancy, and it doubles the risk of stroke later in life. 
• Birth control pills: These can double the risk of stroke, especially in women with high blood pressure. 
• Hormone replacement therapy: Once thought to help, this treatment does not lower stroke risk after menopause and may increase it. 
• Migraines with aura and smoking: Women who experience these types of migraines and also smoke have a much higher risk of stroke than those who don’t. 
• Atrial fibrillation: This irregular heartbeat can raise stroke risk by five times, and it becomes more common in women over age 75. 

How To Lower Your Risk of Stroke 

There are ways to help prevent stroke. Talk to your health care professional about: 

• The safest medicines during pregnancy, especially for high blood pressure 
• Starting low-dose aspirin in the second trimester to lower preeclampsia risk 
• Checking blood pressure before starting birth control pills, and checking it every six months 
• Whether hormone therapy is right for you 
• Quitting smoking, vaping, and nicotine if you have migraines with aura 
• Getting screened for atrial fibrillation if over 75 

Every woman can take steps to stay healthy and reduce her stroke risk. For more information, visit stroke.org. 

Knowledge is power. Know the signs of stroke and what to do! 

Southern New Hampshire Health is your partner is stroke care and prevention. 

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Eileen Barrett BSN, RN is the Stroke Coordinator & Quality Management Specialist at Southern New Hampshire Health.