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(Stroke. 2004;35:32.)
© 2004 American Heart Association, Inc.

Original Contributions

Editorial Comment—Parity and Risk of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: An Emerging Association

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, Virginia

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

An individual’s risk of developing subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is influenced by genetic and environmental factors.¹ Emerging data have helped to shape our understanding of such factors, and the present work by Gaist and colleagues² provides the most definitive efforts to date concerning the potential (inverse) association of parity and risk of SAH.

SAH possesses a number of unique peculiarities compared with other forms of stroke. Although the incidence of other forms of stroke may be decreasing, that of SAH does not appear to be on the wane. Additionally, an epidemiological sex discrepancy is apparent with SAH (the only form of stroke with a clear preponderance of afflicted women). Female sex also appears to have an association with increased risk of intracranial aneurysm formation and growth.³ Further characterization of this clear sex discrepancy may prove to have some utility in influencing our conceptualization of SAH and its potential prevention and therapy.

A gender gap in SAH has led a number of groups to examine potential hormonal influences on SAH.^4–6 Although the risk of SAH (as is the risk of all types of circulatory disorders) appears to be significantly increased around delivery (from 2 days before to 1 day after),⁶ the overall influence of parity on the risk of developing SAH had heretofore not been clearly established due, at least in part, to methodological and sample size limitations.

The present study by Gaist and colleagues helps to clarify the issue of parity and risk of SAH. Using national Swedish registries and a . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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