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New report shows stroke affects women differently than men

TORONTO—A new report by the Heart and Stroke Foundation shows how a stroke can affect women differently than men.

June 6, 2018  By THE CANADIAN PRESS


The average female victim is close to four decades older.

The report outlines that one-third more women die from having a stroke than men, and women are 60 per cent less likely to regain their independence afterwards, with a worse prognosis for recovery than men.

Less than half of stroke patients who participate in rehabilitation programs are female.

Women are also less likely to return home after being treated — twice as many women as men go into long-term care following a stroke.

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Elderly women have the highest rate of stroke, with the risk increasing gradually after menopause.

Dr. Moira Kapral from Toronto’s University Health Network says one of the things the report highlights is that there are some gaps in knowledge when it comes to women and stroke.

Kapral says doctors don’t fully understand why women’s prognosis after stroke is worse or what are the things that really drive that difference, but she says stroke research is increasingly being targeted towards women.


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