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[Cerebrovascular disease in young women]
P Salmerón1, J M Moltó-Jordà, R Villaverde
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Murcia, España.
Insights
Stroke risk factors in young women are similar to the general population, with hypertension and tobacco use being prevalent. Oral contraceptive use was notably higher in women under 35. These findings highlight commonalities in stroke causes across demographics.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Cardiology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Cerebrovascular disease significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality.
- While prevalent in older adults, stroke in young individuals carries substantial socioeconomic and personal consequences.
- Research on stroke in women, particularly concerning unique or prevalent risk factors, remains limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze risk factors and clinical characteristics of stroke in women under 45.
- To compare risk factors between women under 35 and those aged 35-45.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study was conducted.
- Inclusion criteria: 61 women under 45 admitted consecutively between January 1989 and October 1996.
- Data analysis focused on prevalent risk factors and clinical presentation.
Main Results:
- Hypertension (27.8%), tobacco consumption (24.5%), and cardiac abnormalities (22.9%) were the most prevalent risk factors.
- Valvular pathology was a significant cardiac abnormality.
- Oral contraceptive use was high (80%) in women under 35.
Conclusions:
- Identified stroke risk factors in young women are comparable to those in the general young population.
- Key stroke risk factors appear to be consistent across sexes and significant in younger patients.
- The study underscores the importance of recognizing common risk factors for stroke in women under 45.
Introduction:
Cerebrovascular disease is an important cause of morbi-mortality. Although its incidence is maximal in older groups, its incidence in young people cannot be forgotten, even more if we consider the socioeconomic and personal consequences derived from it. There are several works on this subject but few of them analyze the specific problem of stroke in women. There is some degree of controversy in this subject, specially about the role of several factors which are more prevalent or either exclusive for women.
Objectives:
We wanted to analyze the risk factors and clinical characteristics in a group of women under 45 who suffered a stroke and also to compare these risk factors between women under 35 and those from 35 to 45.
Material And Methods:
We have carried out a descriptive study, including 61 women under 45 admitted to our centre consecutively between January 1989 and October 1996.
Results:
Among the most prevalent factors we have found hypertension (27.8%), tobacco consumption (24.5%) and the presence of cardiac abnormalities (22.9%), specially associated to valvular pathology, as well as a higher incidence of contraceptives consumption in women under 35 (80%).
Conclusions:
These factors are similar to those found in studies on the general population of young people. Our data indicate that the relevance of the main factors for stroke is common for both sexes and is also significant in young patients.