Family History Important for Women and Stroke
Women are at higher inherited risk for the most common type of stroke than men, says a new report in The Lancet Neurology.
The study of 806 men and women who suffered ischemic strokes or the minor artery blockages, called transient ischemic attacks, showed women were more likely to have at least one close relative who suffered a stroke, and that was due entirely to an excess of affected female relatives.
"The main implication for clinical practice is that when you consider who is at risk for stroke, it looks like family history in particular is more important in women than men, particularly if there is a family history of stroke in female relatives," says study author Dr. Peter M. Rothwell, director of the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at the Radcliffe Infirmary in Oxford, UK.
Ischemic strokes occur when an artery in the brain becomes blocked. They account for about 83 percent of all strokes, according to the American Stroke Association.
The new study found that women who had strokes were 40 percent more likely to have at least one close relative who suffered a stroke than were men with strokes.
Having a mother who had a stroke was 80 percent more common in women stroke patients than in men.
Age was also a factor. Women whose mothers had a stroke at an early age were more likely to suffer a stroke at about the same age.
The British results support the findings of an American study reported earlier this year, says Dr. Steven J. Kittner, a researcher at the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center.
"They are comparing women and male cases," says Dr. Kittner. "We did a study that looked at stroke in young women and compared them with controls who had not had a stroke. We found more association between maternal stroke and stroke in daughters than a paternal history of stroke."
The Baltimore study found that a mother's stroke doubled the risk of a daughter having a stroke, which is "in the range" of the British finding, he notes.
"That is especially so if a woman had a mother with a stroke at an early age," says Dr. Kittner. "The older the age that the mother had a stroke, the less important it is for the daughter's risk."
The British finding has research implications, Dr. Rothwell notes.
His group is doing further research to determine if the inherited risk is confined to women with some specific subtypes of stroke.
Dr. Rothwell says many strokes are of undetermined causes.
"There is a suggestion that a particular subtype may be one where genetic processes are most at play," he says.
And while family history is important in assessing stroke risk in women, it should not be neglected in men, says Dr. Kittner.
"Family history is always important," he explains. "We should not say there is no familial effect in men, although it appears to be more important in women than in men."
Always consult your physician for more information.
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Stroke, also called brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted.
Disruption in blood flow is caused when either a blood clot or piece of plaque blocks one of the vital blood vessels in the brain (ischemic stroke), or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into surrounding tissues (hemorrhagic stroke).
The brain needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to function.
Even a brief interruption in blood supply can cause problems.
Brain cells begin to die after just a few minutes without blood or oxygen. The area of dead cells in tissues is called an infarct.
Due to both the physical and chemical changes that occur in the brain with stroke, damage can continue to occur for several days. This is called a stroke-in-evolution.
A loss of brain function occurs with brain cell death.
This may include impaired ability with movement, speech, thinking and memory, bowel and bladder, eating, emotional control, and other vital body functions.
Recovery from stroke and the specific ability affected depends on the size and location of the stroke. A small stroke may result in only minor problems such as weakness in an arm or leg.
Larger strokes may cause paralysis (inability to move part of the body), loss of speech, or even death.
According to the National Stroke Association (NSA), it is important to learn the three R's of stroke:
Stroke is an emergency and should be treated as such.
The greatest chance for recovery from stroke occurs when emergency treatment is started immediately.
Always consult your physician for more information.
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