Having This Condition Is Linked to a 99% Higher Stroke Risk
Here's a stat you may not have seen coming: One in four women experiences a stroke after the age of 25. And according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 5 women in the United States will experience a stroke between the ages of 55 and 75.
These numbers are scary, but the good news is that 80% of strokes are preventable. One way to prevent them? Manage the risk factors that contribute to heart health and stroke risk, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
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Adding to the list is another risk factor that, if left unmanaged, was found to increase stroke risk by an astonishing 99%. The results were reported in a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Related:
Researchers observed a link between unmanaged Type 2 diabetes and worsening heart health. Women who were not treating their Type 2 diabetes or were undiagnosed experienced an 83% higher risk of coronary heart disease and an 86% higher risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. The most surprising finding, however, was the 99% higher risk of stroke.
'The differences between women and men in relation to Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk are astounding," says , a diabetes epidemiologist at the Tulane University School of Medicine who served as lead author of the study.
The study authors reached this conclusion after examining the heart health risks of 18,745 women and men, with an average age of 58. About 45% had prediabetes and 7% had undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Regardless of sex, having undiagnosed Type 2 diabetes raised the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, the risk was significantly stronger in women than in men.
"Our findings can be partly explained by biological differences, which include women being more insulin sensitive than men. We advise doctors to be mindful of the different risks women and men face, to ensure the appropriate care is provided.' According to the CDC, Type 2 diabetes raises stroke risk because sugars accumulate in the blood, blocking oxygen and nutrients from reaching the brain.
Related:
The risk of stroke rises with age, doubling every 10 years after age 55. Along with talking to your doctor about Type 2 diabetes, you can further reduce the risk of stroke by:
Maintaining a healthy weight
Getting regular physical activity
Avoiding smoking
Limiting alcohol beverages to one per day
Monitoring and managing cholesterol levels
Monitoring and managing high blood pressure
Regularly taking any prescribed medication for heart disease
Up Next:The Impact of Sex and Gender on Stroke. Circulation Research by Elsevier.
About Women and Stroke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vital Signs: Preventing Stroke Deaths. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sex Differences in Cardiovascular Risk Associated With Prediabetes and Undiagnosed Diabetes. American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Yilin Yoshida, Ph.D, MPH, is a diabetes epidemiologist and assistant professor of medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine.
Aging and Ischemic Stroke. Aging.
Preventing Stroke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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