In February — for the first time ever — the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association published guidelines for stroke prevention specifically for women. And they're too important to ignore. Here they are below.
1. If you're planning a pregnancy and have a history of high blood pressure, talk to your ob-gyn about taking low-dose aspirin and/or a calcium supplement to prevent preeclampsia, which can increase risk of stroke for 30 years afterward.
2. Get your blood pressure checked before going on birth control pills: High BP raises your stroke risk.
3. Don't smoke — especially if you suffer migraines with aura.
4. Seek treatment for diabetes, an irregular heartbeat, depression, and emotional stress. These risk factors for stroke are stronger and more common in women than in men.
More importantly, if you think you're suffering from a stroke, it pays to act quickly. For every 15-minute delay in clot-busting treatment, a stroke victim could lose a month of healthy life, according to recent research. Use this handy acronym ("FAST"), so you can easily remember some common signs:
• F is for "face": Is one side of your face drooping?
• A is for "arms": Can you raise both arms, or is one arm weak?
• S is for "speech": Is your speech slurred, or are you having trouble forming words?
• T is for "time": Call 911!
Photo credit: E+/Getty Images