First, there are the obvious, “common sense” recommendations that we should all follow, male or female. Limiting alcohol consumption, staying physically active, abstaining from smoking, and maintaining a healthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, grains and low in saturated fats are important choices for all of us.
For women particularly though, there are other gender-specific guidelines we need to keep in mind. Things like migraines, diabetes, depression, abnormal heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation), high blood pressure (especially when combined with pregnancy or taking birth control), certain pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, and our longer life expectancy play a note-worthy role in our risk for suffering a stroke.