News & Information

A stroke (a “brain attack”) occurs when blood flow to the brain is blocked (usually by a clot in a blood vessel) or when a blood vessel bursts in the brain, causing internal bleeding. You may be aware of the common risk factors for a stroke, which include high cholesterol and blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, smoking or a family stroke history – but did you know that women have a specific set of stroke risk factors they should watch out for?

If you fit into any of the categories below, you may want to apply for a supplemental critical illness insurance policy on CancerPlans.com. Supplemental insurance is designed to provide a lump sum benefit upon first diagnosis of a covered critical illness like stroke or heart attack – giving you access to extra funds when you need them most.

Here are some of the most common female-specific conditions or substances that may increase a woman’s risk of having a stroke:

Birth control pills. Oral contraceptives increase your chances of blood clots and high blood pressure, nearly doubling your stroke risk.

Pregnancy. Heart stress and higher blood pressure also increase while you are expecting.

A thick waist and/or a high blood fat level. If you are a post-menopausal women with a waist size larger than 35.2 inches, or with a blood fat (triglyceride) level over 128 milligrams/liter, your stroke risk is 5x greater.

Migraine headaches. Most Americans who get migraines are women – and migraine headaches increase your likelihood of a stroke by three to six times.

(1) http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMRISK