Women suffering from stroke are more likely to say they have headache, face and limb pain, disorientation and other nontraditional stroke symptoms, which could delay treatment, the researchers reported in the Annals of Emergency Medicine.

It is vital to treat stroke, the third-leading cause of death in the United States, as quickly as possible. Brain cells start to die and keep on dying in the hours after a stroke, but quick treatment can minimize the damage.

"Our findings have important consequences for stroke diagnosis and treatment," said Dr. Lewis Morgenstern of the University of Michigan, who led the study.

"These differences are both biologically interesting and socially consequential," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency Nobermber 6, 2002)