title: Advancing the study of stroke in women: summary and recommendations for future research from an NINDS-Sponsored Multidisciplinary Working Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Women have poorer outcomes from stroke than men. Women also have risk factors that are unique, including pregnancy and hormone therapy. Hormone therapy for postmenopausal replacement increased the risk of ischemic stroke according to results of the Women's Health Initiative clinical trials. Based on the current understanding of the mechanisms of action of estrogen, the reasons for this increased risk are uncertain. One method to better understand the reasons for this increased risk is to re-evaluate estrogen's role in the neurovascular unit, simplistically comprised of the neurons, glia, and endothelial cells, as well as the processes of inflammation, and hemostasis/thrombosis. Besides the role of estrogen there are many gaps of knowledge about issues specific to women and stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A multidisciplinary workshop was held in August 2005 to summarize the current evidence for estrogen and, more generally, stroke in women, and to provide recommendations for future basic, preclinical, and clinical research studies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These studies may ultimately change the approach to stroke prevention and treatment in women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Neurology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Cheryl.bushnell@duke.edu
authors.forename: Cheryl D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Bushnell
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hurn
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colton
authors.forename: Virginia M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: del Zoppo
authors.forename: Mitchell S V
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Elkind
authors.forename: Barney
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stern
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Herrington
authors.forename: Gwendolyn
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ford-Lynch
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gorelick
authors.forename: Andra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: Candice M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bray
authors.forename: L Kristin
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Newby
authors.forename: Larry B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simpkins
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*; D016387:Women's Health