Stroke Risk Factors, Treatments, and Outcomes for Women

Women bear a disproportionate burden of disease from stroke. Certain stroke risk factors, treatments, and outcomes affect women and men differently. Among the potential explanations for these disparities are the differential effects of conventional stroke risk factors; the influence of sex-specific risk factors such as pregnancy, preeclampsia, and fluctuations in hormone levels; variances in the efficacy or application of interventions for stroke prevention and treatment; and differences in how stroke affects long-term function and disability outcomes. There are gaps in our understanding of these factors as well as of how women are affected by stroke and how a more tailored approach to stroke risk assessment, prevention, and treatment for w…