Midlife as the Critical Window for Women’s Stroke and Dementia Prevention: Pivotal Advances and Implementation Priorities

Women face a higher lifetime risk of stroke and dementia than men, yet prevention strategies are not optimally implemented for women. Midlife (ages 40-65) represents a critical yet underused life stage window for prevention. This period encompasses the menopausal transition, when hormonal, metabolic, vascular, and neurological changes converge. Despite this, women remain underrepresented in stroke trials, and sex-specific risk factors are poorly integrated into routine prevention. This review sy