Lower stroke rate for Tipperary women

However the figure is significantly lower than the national average which shows that almost 50% more women are dying from the disease in Ireland.

To mark National Stroke Week the Irish Heart Foundation has urged women to be extra vigilant about stroke warning signs. 

Provisional figures from the Central Statistics Office show that in 2013 of the 91 stroke related deaths in Tipperary 50 of them were women compared to 41 men a difference of 22%.

Nationally 1,174 women died in 2013 and 827 men – a total of 2,001 stroke-related deaths in Ireland during the year.

According to the Irish Heart Foundations Head of Advocacy Chris Macey, stroke is Ireland's third biggest killer disease, so everyone should make sure they know the symptoms and understand that the only response when the disease strikes is to call an ambulance immediately.

He pointed out that the higher death rate from stroke among women is not widely known with the disease killing almost twice as many women as breast cancer in Ireland.