2014 American Heart Association, Inc. Stroke is available at http://stroke.ahajournals.org DOI: 10.1161/01.str.0000442009.06663.48 AHA/ASA Guideline Stroke has a large negative impact on society, with women disproportionately affected. An estimated 6.8 million (2.8%) of people in the United States are living after having had a stroke, including 3.8 million women and Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death for men, but the third leading cause for women.2 By 2030, there will be an estimated 72 million people >65 years old (19% of the population), and women will increasingly outnumber These demographics suggest an anticipated increase of the burden of stroke in women.4 Nearly half of stroke survivors have residual deficits, including weakness or cog- nitive dysfunction, 6 months after stroke,5 which translates into 200 000 more disabled women with stroke than men. Some of the impact is explained by the fact that women live longer, and thus the lifetime risk of stroke in those aged 55 to 75 years is higher in women (20%) than men Women are more likely to be living alone and wid- owed before stroke, are more often institutionalized after stroke, and have poorer recovery from stroke than men.7 13 Therefore, women are more adversely affected by stroke than men. How our society adapts to the anticipated increase in stroke prevalence in women is vitally important. Now more than ever, it is critical to identify women at higher risk for stroke and initiate the appropriate prevention strategies. Despite the importance of stroke in women, there has never been anAmerican HeartAssociation (AHA)/American Stroke Association guideline dedicated to stroke risk and preven- tion in women. 