Women's spare tire tied to more strokes
Feb 22, 2008
Weight gain, especially around waist, linked to higher stroke rates in middle-aged women.
Bulging waistlines may be to blame for a rise in strokes among middle-aged women, researchers report.
In a large national study, weight gain, especially around the waist, was linked to an increase in strokes among women aged 35 to 54.
Women ages 35 to 54 have higher stroke rates than men of those ages, and this is likely due to increasing rates of abdominal obesity, says researcher. The study does not prove cause-and-effect. But the researchers found that traditional risk factors for stroke, such as smoking and high blood pressure, are not increasing among middle-aged women.
That gives weight to their hefty hypothesis, says head of neurology at the University was not involved with the research.
The study was presented at the ASA's International Stroke Conference.
To determine if the gender gap was a real phenomenon or a fluke, the researchers analyzed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey done from 1988 to 1994 and from 1999 to 2004.
It was real, Towfighi says. The stroke rates among women aged 35 to 54 tripled from the earlier time period to the later period: from 0.6% to 1.8%. The stroke rate among middle-aged men remained stable, at about 1%.
Seeking to find out why, the researchers looked at a host of factors that can affect risk, including smoking, diabetes, history of heart attack, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
Obesity on the rise
But the percentage of women who had abdominal obesity - a waist circumference of 35 inches or more - jumped from 47% in the first study to 59% in the later study. Among men, it increased from 29% to 41%.
Looked at another way, women in the latter survey had an average waist circumference of nearly 1.6 inches more than women in the earlier study.
Abdominal obesity is a stronger risk factor for stroke in women.
Body mass index (BMI), a measure of obesity, also rose slightly more in women than in men. The average BMI for women in the later study was 28.7, compared with 27.1 in the earlier study. The corresponding figures for men were 28.4 and 27.2. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is considered overweight, while a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese.
In addition, women in the second study showed signs of poorer blood sugar control than in the past, The findings reinforce advice to keep your weight down, through a healthy diet and regular exercise. People who are overweight or who are told by their doctors that they have poor blood sugar control should avoid a lot of starches and sugars.
Source: webmd.com
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