LOS ANGELES (KABC) — They sit silently in the heads of millions of Americans. They can burst without warning. Brain aneurysms rupture in about 30,000 people every year, killing or disabling many.
Women are at a higher risk for aneurysms than men. Now, researchers are taking a closer look at how a major change in a woman’s life could be to blame.
Sande Skinner thought she was having a stroke.
“The left side of my body got numb,” said Skinner. “It didn’t feel right.”
Skinner had a giant aneurysm right behind her right optic nerve. If ruptured, brain aneurysms can lead to stroke or death. Risk factors include smoking, high blood pressure and possibly lower estrogen levels caused by menopause. Two of the largest brain aneurysm trials in the world found most happen in menopausal women.
“Average age of rupture of all patients with aneurysms is age 52, which just so happens to be the average age of menopause,” said Dr. Dr. Michael Chen, a neurointerventionalist at Rush University Medical Center. Read full article.
