ABSTRACT
Stroke prevention necessitates an understanding of stroke risk. This chapter examines the risk of stroke related to the use of oral contraceptive pills and estrogen replacement therapy. The focus of stroke risk is hence restricted to the adult female population. Overall, adult females have a lower frequency of stroke than adult males. However, among individuals younger than 45 years and older than 80 years, women have more strokes than men. Among younger women, those in their reproductive years, use of estrogen-containing pharmaceuticals is most prevalent. An estimated 65 million women worldwide, corresponding to 6% of all women of reproductive age, use the oral contraceptive pill (OCP)1. Developed to prevent pregnancy, OCP are also widely used to treat menorrhagia, irregular menstrual periods, peri-menopausal symptoms and even menstrual migraine. Estrogen replacement therapy (ERT), used by an estimated 38% of postmenopausal women in the United States2, is commonly prescribed to prevent osteoporosis and alleviate symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia and mood swings.
