Whole Grain Consumption and Risk of Ischemic Stroke in Women

Abstract

Although stroke-related mortality has clearly declined since the mid-20th century,¹ incidence rates of stroke have been level since the mid-1980s, and stroke remains a leading cause of serious disability and death in women.² In the United States, approximately 600,000 cases of stroke accounted for 160,000 deaths in 1997.² At all ages, more women than men die of stroke. Many of the approximately 4.4 million stroke survivors have permanent disability, and the cost of stroke-related care amounts to $40 billion each year.³ Because known risk factors for the development of stroke, including hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, obesity, and diabetes mellitus, can be changed through dietary modification, primary prevention holds much promise.⁴ Few studies, however, have specifically examined the relationship of diet to stroke risk, especially among women.^5,6 Moreover, previous studies have often failed to distinguish stroke subtypes, although the pathologic mechanisms for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes are known to differ.⁴