Women's Health
New advice to help women lower their stroke risk
Many of the new guidelines are targeted to women of childbearing age. For example, they suggest women with a history of high blood pressure take low-dose aspirin starting in the 12th week of pregnancy to lower their risk of preeclampsia—high blood pressure during pregnancy. And, they recommend that women be screened for high blood pressure before they start taking birth control pills (oral contraceptives increase stroke risk). But there are also a few important pieces of advice for older women. Those who are over age 75 should get screened for atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm that is a leading cause of stroke. And women between the ages of 65 and 79 should consider taking a daily baby aspirin (81 mg) to prevent stroke.
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