"It is alarming that stroke is the third most frequent cause of death among women and the most frequent cause of disability," president of the Croatian Neurologists' Association Zdravka Poljakovic told a press conference.
She recommended regular preventive examinations, physical activity and a balanced diet in order to reduce the possibilities of strokes.
The press conference heard that women affected by a stroke had a lesser chance of recuperating than men and each year twice as many women die from a stroke than from breast cancer.
Wear Red Day will be marked on Friday, 7 February at an event organised in Vatroslav Lisinski hall where women who have survived a stroke will wear red dresses, said Mirela Sentija Knezevic, the head of the Zagreb City's health department.
She warned that strokes in women are not recognised nor treated sufficiently. "It is the primary cause of disability while timely treatment is key in reducing the fatality and disability rate," she said.