Strokes kill twice as many women as breast cancer every year.

450,000 women will have a stroke this year alone.

The unique risk factors for women include hormone therapy such as birth control pills and hormone replacement at menopause.

High blood pressure is the universal risk factor for stroke for all people and anyone can have a stroke at any time.

It is important to seek medical attention immediately if you notice any stoke symptoms.

Every moment your brain is without oxygen irreparable damage can be done to the brain.

Women who drink moderately have lower stroke risk.

Although there are many confusing, contradictory, and concocted reports it seems that the consensus is in.

When you consider that a women’s risk of dying from heart disease or stroke is greater than her risk of breast cancer,( a recent study found a link between drinking alcohol and an increased risk of breast cancer ) then it is worth entertaining the idea of a glass of red wine as a good thing.

Blood clots can cause the most common type of stroke, so fewer blood clots should mean fewer ischemic strokes. That’s what this new study, which was published online today in the journal Stroke, found.

The researchers also found less risk of hemorrhagic stroke, which is caused by a burst blood vessel in the brain. Earlier studies have found more risk of hemorrhagic stroke, perhaps because a clot would be a good thing there.

Citrus fruits may help lower stroke risk in women, study finds.

It is important to eat the whole fruit and not just to consume juice which also contains a lot of sugar.

Flavanones may reduce risk of stroke through several mechanisms, including improving blood vessel health and reducing inflammation.

In the study, women who ate the most citrus fruit had a 19 percent lower risk of having an ischemic stroke than women who ate the least. In an ischemic stroke, blood flow to the brain is blocked, sometimes by clogged arteries.

It seems that Americans are getting too much sodium in their diets.

Excess sodium raises blood pressure and makes it difficult to lose weight.
Hypertension can lead to heart attack and stroke so it is worth monitoring your diet to eliminate excess salt.

Currently, the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommends the average individual should consume a limit of 2,300 milligrams per day. But the average person’s actual sodium consumption per day – 3,300 milligrams, according to the report. And that doesn’t include salt added at the table.

Since sodium acts a preservative it is found in many processed foods.

Breads, rolls, lunch meats and pizza are just some of the worst culprits contributing to excessive sodium in our daily diets.

Sleep apnea is proving to be a drain on insurance companies.

Snoring was once considered an annoyance, however, research has shown that complications can increase the risk of several serious illnesses, including heart disease, stroke and dementia.

Testing can be a lucrative business, and labs have popped up in free-standing clinics and hospitals across the country. Over the past decade, the number of accredited sleep labs that test for the disorder has quadrupled, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

At the same time, insurer spending on the procedure has skyrocketed. Medicare payments for sleep testing increased from $62 million in 2001 to $235 million in 2009, according to the Office of the Inspector General.

Although the initial cost may be a burden on insurers the hope lies in the prevention of more serious and costly ailments in the future.