NEW ORLEANS (AP) - Researchers are uncovering a huge leap in the number of strokes in middle-aged women in recent years -- a trend blamed on the obesity epidemic.
The University of Southern California study says nearly 2 percent of women ages 35 to 54 reported suffering a stroke between 1999 and 2004, compared to just half a percent between 1988 and 1994. The near tripling in the number of strokes coincides with an increase in women's waistlines and blood sugar levels over the past decade.
At a New Orleans medical conference, doctors say it's an ominous sign because strokes usually happen to older people.
Researchers say the stroke rate has spiked in middle-aged women but stayed about the same in middle-aged men. They say belly fat may be a factor. Women tend to accumulate more than men.
On the Net:
Stroke conference: www.strokeassociation.org
Body Mass Index calculator:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/calc-bmi.htm.English
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement