4/28/23, 4:25 PM Stroke Prevention in Women: From Young Adulthood to Older Age - Professional Heart Daily | American Heart Association ADVERTISEMENT Stroke Prevention in Women: From Young Adulthood to Older Age Last Updated: June 13, 2022 Disclosure: Dr. Braun has an NIH grant related to physical activity, she is on the Speaker s Bureau for Practice Point, and she serves on Advisory Boards for Up- To-Date and Sanofi. Pub Date: Thursday, Feb 06, 2014 Author: Lynne Braun, PhD, CNP, FAHA, FAAN Affiliation: Rush University Medical Center and College of Nursing, Chicago Illinois View the summary for Guidelines for the Prevention of Stroke in Women Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in women. Given that women live longer than men, women who survive a stroke and have residual physical and cognitive deficits will outnumber men. Increasingly strokes occur in younger women as well, which is devastating for young stroke survivors and their families. The Guidelines for the Prevention of Stroke in Women is the first guideline to provide emphasis on risk factors unique to women (such as hormonal factors, pregnancy, and childbirth) and risk factors that more commonly occur in women, including migraine with aura, obesity and metabolic syndrome, and atrial fibrillation. The writing group provides evidence-based recommendations that are unique to women and, of equal importance, identifies gaps in knowledge where additional research is needed to better assess risk and improve strategies for stroke prevention in women. The authors wish not only to improve the understanding of clinicians and researchers about stroke risk and prevention in women, but also to empower women to learn about their risk and how to reduce their chances of having a stroke. 