Ask women what disease they fear the most, and according to a recent survey, sixty percent will say cancer, with a third specifically mentioning breast cancer. During February, which has been designated Heart Month, the American Heart Asssociation focuses special attention on stroke and heart disease as it affects women. It is appropriate to focus on stroke in women.
Stroke is the single leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.
Even though men are more likely to have a stroke, since there are more older women, ultimately a greater number of women have a stroke than men. There are nearly 4 million stroke survivors alive, more than half of them women. There are four main blood vessels supplied by the aorta that course through the neck toward the brain. These divide into numerous branching vessels which supply various parts of the brain tissue. Clogging or bursting of any main vessel or branch vessel can occur.