RIYADH, 18 November 2003 — On the occasion of World Stroke Day, senior health experts warned that a growing number of women in the Kingdom are at risk from stroke, which kills more men than women. More than 34 percent of overweight women and 26 percent of moderately obese women in the Kingdom are prone to hypertension and stroke.
Speakers at a press conference to mark the occasion included Dr. Waleed Khoja, chief of the Saudi Advisory Group on Stroke (SAGAS) and consultant neurologist at the Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital; Dr. Jameela Edathodu, assistant consultant at King Faisal Specialist Hospital; and Dr. Ahmad Amro, a consultant cardiologist.
The press conference focused on an international survey conducted in 11 countries which shows that the majority of doctors believe that men are more likely than women to die of stroke despite the fact that stroke kills 400,000 more women than men every year.
This is also likely to be true in the Kingdom, where changes in life pattern, growing obesity, changing food habits and lack of exercise kill more people every year. “While most people think of cardiovascular disease as a man’s problem, the truth is that both sexes suffer equally, but for a variety of reasons cardiovascular conditions such as stroke, are more often fatal in women than men,” Dr. Khoja said.
