There are 3 times in life when women are most at risk of stroke: report

The Heart & Stroke Foundation is starting to get additional insight into why more women than men are affected by strokes.

Allison Kesler, CEO for Heart & Stroke Manitoba/Saskatchewan, joined Global News Morning on Thursday to talk more about the findings in a new report from the Foundation.

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Kesler said that more women are being included in studies and more information is being discovered.

There are three times in a woman’s life when she is more susceptible to a stroke: during pregnancy, during and after menopause when estrogen levels are dropping, and when she is a senior.

READ MORE: Women are one-third more likely to die of stroke than men, yet many are unaware of signs: report

In addition to being at higher risk, older women are also less likely to return home after suffering a stroke.

Many already deal with mobility or cognitive issues before their stroke which makes it more difficult for them to move around or make it to rehabilitation or doctors’ appointments. This leads to longer stays in hospitals or a direct move into long term care facilities.

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Manitoba remains the only province that doesn’t have a dedicated acute stroke unit.

Kesler said the Heart & Stroke Foundation has been working with the government to bring one in, but she wasn’t able to give additional details.

The Heart & Stroke Foundation is hosting their REDdress Gala Saturday in Brandon, to raise funds to support the new campaign “Time to See Red” which is focused on women’s brain and heart health.