Stroke in Women and Unique Risk Factors

There has been a plethora of studies focused on female-specific risk factors and sex differences in stroke published in the past year. This article summarizes several of those novel studies which provide new knowledge about the field of stroke in women. The Nurses’ Health Study II provides new data on the association between laparoscopically proven endometriosis and future stroke, accounting for the mediation effects of hysterectomy and oophorectomy. In a cohort of women from China, the relationship between hysterectomy, oophorectomy, and stroke is further clarified, accounting for the age at which the procedure is performed. The UK Biobank study provides new information on the relationship between oral contraceptive and hormone replacement therapy and stroke, with analytical techniques that focus on the timing of events related to duration of exposure. Finally, 2 new meta-analyses address the question of whether sex differences exist in the presentation of stroke symptoms.