Incidence of Stroke and Myocardial Infarction in Women of Reproductive Age

Abstract

Background and Purpose Information on the incidence of vascular disease in women of reproductive age has been limited. These diseases are rare in this age group, and a large population base is required for reliable estimation of incidence. Methods For a case-control study of vascular disease and low-dose oral contraceptive use, we used emergency department logs and hospital admission and discharge records to ascertain fatal and nonfatal cases of first-ever stroke and myocardial infarction (MI) in women 15 to 44 years of age who were members of a large California HMO. Incidence rates of stroke and MI were calculated on the basis of these data. Results The incidence of MI not associated with pregnancy was 5.0 per 100 000 women-years. The incidence of stroke not associated with pregnancy was 10.7 per 100 000 women-years. MI was very rare until age 35 years. At every age, about half of hemorrhagic strokes were due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Conclusions The incidence rates of stroke and MI are low in women of reproductive age in the United States.