Diabetes: The association between diabetes and increased stroke risk seems to be related to the circulatory problems caused by the disease. Good control of diabetes appears to reduce the cardiovascular complications of the disease.
Oral contraceptives: Use of oral contraceptives, especially those with a high dose of estrogen, appears to increase the risk of blood clots--including clots that cause stroke--especially in women over age 30. The risk is even higher in women who smoke. If you have stroke risk factors and are using oral contraceptives, you might want to consult your physician regarding alternative methods of birth control.
Post-menopausal estrogen use: Recent studies have associated post-menopausal estrogen replacement therapy with a small increase in the risk of stroke.
A recent study showed that taking a high dose of Lipitor (a statin that lowers cholesterol levels) reduced the risk of both stroke and heart attack in patients who had recently had a stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA). This was true even for patients who had normal, or near normal, cholesterol levels at the time of their stroke or TIA.
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