Strokes claim the lives of more than 85,000 females each year. Black women are at particular risk. 

When Tracy Madsen casually talks to other women, whether they are patients, family, or friends, about their health concerns, she is often surprised to hear that they are afraid of getting breast cancer while rarely mentioning stroke.

The third most common cause of death for women in the United States is stroke. It is responsible for about two times as many deaths among women each year.

According to the American Stroke Association (a division of the American Heart Association), stroke is responsible for the deaths of more than 85,000 females each year. Women also experience 55,000 more strokes than men. While women are more likely than men to survive a stroke attack, studies show that they have a poorer recovery, which means they experience more disability and deteriorated quality of life.

Cheryl Bushnell is a professor of neurology and geriatric medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. She said that women often have worse outcomes. "Was the person using a walker before their stroke?" Are they frail? Do they have fewer muscle or heart or kidney diseases? The worse the outcome is if you have a comorbidity [two or more medical problems].

According to Louise McCullough of the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, women are also more likely to develop post-stroke cognitive impairment and depression. There is a link between stroke and dementia. If you have a stroke, you are more likely to develop dementia. You should know that vascular diseases and dementia are two of the main reasons why people end up in nursing homes.

Stroke kills more than 85,000 women each year, and women experience about 55,000 more cases of stroke annually than men, according to the American Stroke Association.

Black women are at greater risk of stroke. Kathryn Rexrode is the chief of Brigham and Women's Hospital's division of women's healthcare and a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. She says that there are "definitely disparities" by race. Hypertension is one reason for this, but it's not the only factor. The way that people are treated is influenced by race, as well as cultural factors such as access to healthy food and health care. It's not just genetic or socioeconomic, suggesting that there are many other factors affecting the health of women."

Two types of stroke exist: ischemic (when blood clots, or other particles, block the blood vessels leading to the brain) and hemorrhagic (when an artery ruptures in the brain or leaks blood). The majority of strokes are ischemic.

Experts say that the stroke ratio between men and women changes as we age.

Madsen says that during midlife, the stroke rate is higher for men. However, it increases to the same level or higher after menopause.

Madsen explains that this is because men and women live longer. The risk increases as we age. Madsen says that women have a higher lifetime stroke risk than men. They should talk to their doctor and ask about their risk factors. Then, they can be screened for risk factors and treated.

Diabetes, high blood pressure, and other risks

Experts say that stroke risk factors are the same for men and women, but some -- such as Diabetes or Atrial Fibrillation -- seem to be more prevalent in women. High blood pressure is one of the most common risk factors. It can be controlled and treated. Stroke is the No. 1 cause that can be prevented. However, other factors, such as age or family history, cannot be controlled.

Other risks, in addition to hypertension and diabetes, include smoking, eating a high-fat diet, including saturated fats and trans fats, salt, and cholesterol (which can increase blood pressure), as well as obesity and inactivity.

During midlife, the age-adjusted stroke incidence — the rate — is higher in men, but it becomes equal or even higher in women after menopause, one expert says. (Getty Images)

Experts recommend that you keep your blood pressure below 130/80. It would help if you also underwent screening for atrial fibrillation, diabetes and quit smoking. They recommend eating healthily (they suggest the dietary approaches to stopping hypertension method or the Mediterranean Diet), maintaining a healthy weight, and exercising regularly.

McCullough advises that high blood pressure may not be noticeable. They should check their blood pressure as often as they brush their teeth, but at least once a week.

Oral contraceptives can also increase the risk, although studies suggest that they are more dangerous for women with other risk factors.

Complications during pregnancy can be a factor.

These include preeclampsia, which is a disorder of the blood vessels during pregnancy, gestational diabetes, or diabetes that is caused by the changes of pregnancy, hypertension, which can lead to stroke after a woman has given birth, and blood clots, according to the

Madsen says that having preeclampsia or gestational diabetes can lead to strokes even 10 or 20 years after the pregnancy has ended.

Madsen, an expert in preeclampsia, says that it "causes long lasting effects on the vessels such as inflammatory changes and changes to the way blood clots," which can lead to stroke and cerebrovascular diseases.

Another risk factor is early or premature menopause. This can happen when the ovaries have been surgically removed due to medical reasons. Experts believe that natural hormones such as estrogen can help, unlike exogenous hormonal treatments.

Madsen explains that "the number of years in which a woman's exposure to protective hormones are shortened." The blood vessels age more rapidly. The body ages faster if you experience menopause before age 40 and after age 50.

Stroke symptoms are similar for men and women. They include sudden weakness or numbness in the arm, leg, or face on a particular side, confusion or difficulty speaking, vision problems in either or both of the eyes, and an intense headache without a known cause. According to Bushnell, some women can also experience incontinence and loss of consciousness, unlike men.

Bushnell: "The good news for men and women is that they respond to major lifesaving treatments in the same way."

Rexrode says that the most important message for women to hear is to "control your risk factors." If you are diagnosed with a stroke and treated quickly, it can be reversed. Time is the brain. The longer you wait, the more damage you do to your brain. The more brain you can protect, the faster you treat.

Credit: TheWebHealth.com