Irish Examiner
Monday, 16 April 2012
More than three times as many women as men are dying from stroke in some parts of Ireland, it has been warned.
Latest figures show that, on average throughout the country, the death rate from the disease is 60% higher among women.
But in certain pockets that gap is much wider.
In County Louth, for instance, 12 died from stroke during 2010 compared to 39 women – more than three times as many.
In counties Kilkenny, Sligo, Waterford, Louth and Mayo, the number of women dying was more than double the number of male stroke deaths.
Dr Angie Brown, medical director at the Irish Heart Foundation, said the gender gap was not widely known.
“The fact is that stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer in Ireland and we are particularly asking women to be aware of the so-called Fast warning signs during this year’s National Stroke Week”.
The Fast acronym stands for face, arms, speech and time.
The warning signs of an impending stroke include the victim’s face fallen on one side, difficulties in raising their arms and slurred speech.
The length of time it takes to get help from emergency services is critical for survival and recovery.
“The fact is that the average stroke destroys around two million brain cells every minute,” said Dr. Brown.
“So the quicker you get to hospital after a stroke, literally the more of your brain the doctors can save.”
Dr Brown said the main reason more women die from stroke is that they live longer than men, and so have a greater likelihood of being affected by the disease.
However, other factors are also at play such as the higher risk of stroke of women with atrial fibrillation – a common form of irregular heartbeat – than men with the same condition.
Stroke remains the third biggest killer disease in Ireland.
In total, 2,053 people died from the disease during 2010, according to latest Central Statistics office figures.
Of these, 1,258 deaths were women.
The Irish Heart Foundation advises lifestyle changes, including drinking alcohol in moderation, quitting smoking, being more active, and improving diet to reduce the risk of stroke.
“It is also crucial to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels” said Dr. Brown.
“It is estimated that 40% of strokes could be prevented through better control of blood pressure”.
National Stroke Week starts today.