Even though the rate of postoperative stroke is relatively low, for those who suffer this complication after surgery, the implications can be devastating. One of our major goals is to create awareness that this is an important problem, particularly for women. The study now adds stroke to the list of reasons why women have a poorer survival rate than men following heart surgery. It does not, however, shed light on why women have a higher risk. One possible answer involves estrogen, the female sex hormone, he says.
Animal studies suggest that estrogen can protect the brain against stroke.
The sharp reduction in estrogen after menopause may help explain the higher perioperative stroke risk in women. Inc. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.