The Prevalence Of Strokes Among Women

Strokes are caused by a block in the blood supply to the brain which causes a decrease in oxygen and delivery of other important supplies which facilitate proper functioning. Fifteen million cases are reported worldwide annually, although not all of these cases are mortalities, the large prevalence of strokes ranks it as the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. (Figueroa) Because of the time sensitivity associated with the lack of resources to the brain, strokes are considered a medical emergency and early recognition of symptoms can help decrease the amount of damage caused . Although strokes do not always cause death, strokes most often leave the individual with some physical and cognitive impairment.

The health issue that this artifact discusses is the significance of knowing and recognizing the warning signs of a stroke. The American Heart Association has made it their mission to provide unlimited health information and research in the hopes of eliminating cardiovascular diseases as well as helping society in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. “Stroke is the number 5 cause of death and a leading cause of

In elderly patients, the decision-making ability is deteriorated and this could lead to a delay to seek medical help (Ganzer, Insel, & Ritter, 2012). Several included studies in this review have demonstrated that women were significantly older than men when they got the stroke symptoms (Maeda, Toyoda, Minematsu, & Kobayashi, 2013; Park et al., 2013). Hence, advanced age is likely to be another cause of pre-hospital delay in females. Additionally, some studies in this review have determined that elderly females with acute stroke are more likely to live alone than males (Mandelzweig et al., 2006; Park et al., 2013; Smith et al., 2010; Yanagida et al., 2014). Furthermore, earlier research has reported that acute stroke patients who lived alone were 2.63 times more likely to have longer hospital arrival times than patients who lived with others (p < 0.001) (Eissa et al., 2013). Thus, another possible cause of the delay time in females could be living alone.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked. The tissue does not get enough of oxygen and nutrients within minutes, the brain cells begin to die. A stroke is a medical emergency, and prompt treatment is crucial. The good news is a stroke can be treatable and is more preventable. More people live longer now than in the past years. Stroke is known as the silent killer. Many people ignore the symptoms and cause more damage to their body. People with stroke have trouble speaking and understanding, paralysis or numbness of the face arm or leg. If you ever encounter anyone with these systems, please call 911 imminently for help.

The objective of the present study was to assess the extent of stroke knowledge, specifically regarding the risk factors and warning signs of stroke. Thus, it is important to be well understood about stroke, the risk factors and the warning signs. Furthermore, this review will discuss in details about the two risk factors, stress and obesity that are significant among the studied population. This is followed by the review on the state of stroke knowledge and its importance from the previous studies among varied populations.

A less common type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. This type of stroke occurs when the artery that supplies blood to the brain ruptures or bursts. Stroke is an expensive disease with lifetime rehabilitation costing over $140,000 per ischemic stroke with higher costs for subarachnoid hemorrhage (Alberts, et. al. 2011). Although stroke risk increases with age, strokes can occur at any age. In 2009, 34% of people hospitalized for stroke were younger than 65 years (Hall, 2012). More women than men have strokes each year, in part because women live longer. Estimates of the overall incidence of stroke in U. S. children are 6.4 per 100,000 (0-15 yrs.) with approximately half being hemorrhagic stroke (ASA, 2016). African Americans are more impacted by stroke than any other racial group within the American

There are many risk factors associated with stroke. The more risk factors a person has, the greater the chance that he or she will have a stroke. Some of these you have no control of, such as increasing age, family health history, race and gender. But you can change or treat most other risk factors to lower your risk. The chance of having a stroke more than doubles every decade after the age of 55. The chance is greater in people who have a family history of stroke. African Americans have a much higher risk of disability and death from a stroke than whites, in part because blacks have a greater incidence of high blood pressure, a major stroke risk factor. Overall, the incidence of stroke is about equal for men and women. However, at all

Stroke is a severe medical condition and is the number five cause of death and leading cause of serious, long-term disability in America. There are three main kinds of stroke, ischemic which is caused by blood blots, hemorrhagic which is caused by ruptured blood vessels that cause brain bleeding, and transient ischemic attack (TIA) which is a “mini-stroke” caused by a temporary blood clot. It is well-known that brain cells die after a few minutes when they are no longer able to receive nutrients and/or oxygen from the blood or even when there is sudden bleeding in and around the brain. After the brain cells die, the part of the body that they control will no longer be able to function. The signs and symptoms depends on the

Recently, there has been a surge in reports of TIAs in rare instances such as healthy, young women. With lack of full understanding as to the reasoning behind this, research found that strokes are not a geriatric disease as once believed (stroke association.org). Accordingly, Steven J. Kittner, M.D., director of the Maryland Stroke Center at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine in Baltimore declares that strokes can affect anyone at any age (2004). Furthermore, he states that although there are common risk factors, some of the more hidden ones are the most dangerous, especially for women under 55 (Kittner, 2004). He claims, matching other reports that these hidden risk factors leading to increased strokes include: migraines, oral contraceptives,

There are many factors that can lead to the development of a cerebrovascular accident. Factors that contribute to the development of a stroke are hypertension, dysrhythmias, heart disease, diabetes, gout, postural hypotension, cardiac hypertrophy, high cholesterol levels, a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, and a diet high in cholesterol and unhealthy fat (Med-help, 2009).

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in the world. Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke. About 87% of all strokes are ischemic strokes, where blood flow to the brain is blocked and 13% are hemorrhagic strokes, where a weakened blood vessel in the brain ruptures. Stroke costs the United States an estimated $34 billion each year. Strokes are diagnosed and confirmed using physical examination, blood tests and brain imaging techniques. Clinical treatments and preventative measures for stroke have improved in the acute setting, but long-term rehabilitation techniques remain limited. Stroke is a major health problem that greatly affects people of all ages and causes long-term disability

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is either interrupted, blocked or a blood vessel in the brain ruptures. These blockages are often caused by blood clots, which can form in the arteries connecting to the brain. When this happens, there is an insufficient amount of oxygen and nutrients going to the brain, and this causes the brain cells to die. It also is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States (U.S) today. There are three forms of stroke: ischemic strokes, hemorrhagic strokes, and transient ischemic attacks. These are also called mini-strokes.

Mrs Alice Palmer is 54 years old, female and has had hypertension for years but does not take medication for it. Ischaemic strokes are usually caused by blood clots that form and block vessels to the bloodstream resulting in tissue in the brain dying. (Stroke Foundation - Australia, 2016). Compared to another 54 year old woman who doesn’t have hypertension, Mrs Palmer’s risk of a stroke is higher due to the hypertension. Age is another factor that contributes to the risk of having a stroke especially an ischaemic stroke, as the older you get the more chance of having a stroke increases (Stroke Foundation - Australia, 2016). Gender is said to be a risk factor as well, men have a more increased chance of having a stroke. Another factor to be

The two most at risk groups for stroke are those people with unhealthy lifestyles and the elderly. Two-thirds of all stroke victims are over the age of 65. Strokes can occur at anytime however. Gender also plays a role in strokes. The stroke risk for men is 1.25 times higher than that of women. Men do have a higher survival rate than women due to the life expectancy of men vs. women. Women are generally older when they encounter a stroke (Harrar 132). Stroke also runs in some families. Some members of a family might have a genetic predisposition for some of the risk factors. Race is also important in determining those at risk. African Americans have almost double the risk compared to Caucasians.

With the rising number of female patients having strokes, combined with the debilitating health effects of cerebral vascular accidents, there is a need for women who are at high risk of stroke to understand that female patients have unique risk factors and signs and symptoms of a stroke (Gall et al., 2010; Mochari-Greenberger et al., 2014). Despite the numerous campaigns and educational efforts for women regarding heart disease and stroke, there continues to be a vast gap in the knowledge and understanding and general awareness of [stroke] in women (Melloni et al., 2010).