Hiccups can signal stroke in women

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in women, but they often miss the opportunity for lifesaving treatment because they are unaware of the symptoms and the fact that they are different from those in men suffering a stroke, a new survey shows.

About 60 percent of stroke deaths occur in females, statistics show.

A survey conducted by Ohio State University researchers found that only 11 percent of the 1,000 women could correctly identify pregnancy, lupus, migraine headaches and oral contraception or hormone replacement therapy as female-specific stroke risks. 

"I think we have a ways to go when it comes to educating women about stroke and their unique risk factors," said Dr. Diana Greene-Chandos, a neurologist and director of neuroscience critical care at Ohio State's Wexner Medical Center. 

Gender-specific risk factors are in addition to the risk factors for both men and women. These include smoking, lack of exercise, blood pressure higher than 140/90, high blood glucose levels (A1C of more than 7 for diabetics and 5.7 if not); and a high LDL-cholesterol level.

In addition, only 10 percent of the survey’s respondents were aware that “something as trivial as hiccups,” when combined with atypical chest pain are among the early warning signs of a stroke in women when accompanied by or followed by typical stroke symptoms, Dr. Green-Chandos said.

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