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June 21, 2007
Women and the Mid-Life Stroke
Middle-aged women have a far greater risk of stroke than do men. Obesity is a factor...
Men may be much more likely to have a mid-life crisis, but women are more prone to a mid-life phenomenon with far worse consequences than a hairpiece or an expensive sports car — stroke.
According to a new study, increasing numbers of middle-aged women appear to be having a stroke in middle age.
Researchers say that this may be explained by the increased prevalence of heart disease and waist size among women, both of which are associated with obesity.
Women in the 45 to 54 age range were more than twice as likely as men in the same age group to have had a stroke. There were no sex differences in stroke rates found in the 35 to 44 and the 55 to 64 age groups.
"While our analysis shows increased waist size and coronary artery disease are predictors of stroke among women aged 45 to 54, it is not immediately clear why there is a sex disparity in stroke rates among this age group," said study author Amytis Towfighi, M.D., with the Stroke Center and Department of Neurology at the University of California at Los Angeles. "While further study is needed, this mid-life stroke surge among women suggests prompt and close attention may need to be paid to the cardiovascular health of women in their mid-30s to mid-50s with a goal of mitigating this burden."
In addition, Towfighi says that systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels — factors known to be associated with cardiovascular disease — increased at higher rates among women compared to men in each older age group.
"For instance, with each decade, men's blood pressure increased by an average of four to five points, whereas women's blood pressure increased by eight to 10 points. Similarly, men had significantly higher total cholesterol levels than women at age 35 to 44, but men's total cholesterol remained stable while women's total cholesterol increased by 10 to 12 points with each decade, so that by age 55 to 64, women had significantly higher total cholesterol than men," said Towfighi.
This study was published June 20, 2007 in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
According to a new study, increasing numbers of middle-aged women appear to be having a stroke in middle age.
Researchers say that this may be explained by the increased prevalence of heart disease and waist size among women, both of which are associated with obesity.
The study analyzed data from 17,000 people over the age of 18 who participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Of the participants, 606 people experienced a stroke.Women in the 45 to 54 age range were more than twice as likely as men in the same age group to have had a stroke.
Women in the 45 to 54 age range were more than twice as likely as men in the same age group to have had a stroke. There were no sex differences in stroke rates found in the 35 to 44 and the 55 to 64 age groups.
"While our analysis shows increased waist size and coronary artery disease are predictors of stroke among women aged 45 to 54, it is not immediately clear why there is a sex disparity in stroke rates among this age group," said study author Amytis Towfighi, M.D., with the Stroke Center and Department of Neurology at the University of California at Los Angeles. "While further study is needed, this mid-life stroke surge among women suggests prompt and close attention may need to be paid to the cardiovascular health of women in their mid-30s to mid-50s with a goal of mitigating this burden."
In addition, Towfighi says that systolic blood pressure and cholesterol levels — factors known to be associated with cardiovascular disease — increased at higher rates among women compared to men in each older age group.
"For instance, with each decade, men's blood pressure increased by an average of four to five points, whereas women's blood pressure increased by eight to 10 points. Similarly, men had significantly higher total cholesterol levels than women at age 35 to 44, but men's total cholesterol remained stable while women's total cholesterol increased by 10 to 12 points with each decade, so that by age 55 to 64, women had significantly higher total cholesterol than men," said Towfighi.
This study was published June 20, 2007 in the online edition of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
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