Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. It places a huge burden on families, health systems and societies.

Increasingly, strokes are not just occurring in older adults. They are affecting younger people in the most productive years of their lives, interrupting work, family life, and long-term wellbeing.

In the US, around 55,000 more women than men experience a stroke each year. This is partly because women live longer . However, women also tend to have poorer outcomes and a lower quality of life after a stroke. Globally, stroke is more common in women than men under the age of 25.

Stroke risk in women is shaped by biology and hormones throughout the reproductive years.

One important set of risk factors involves high blood pressure during pregnancy .

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