Objective   To investig ate the incidence and mortality of stroke events in female population aged 20-64 years in some areas of Jiangsu Province and to explore the association between the incidence of stroke events and the intensity of risk factors.

  Methods   The cases of stroke occurred in the defined female po pulation were continuously collected through an established monitoring system, an extensional study of the MONICA project.Monitoring data for disease rate(incidence or mor tality)of stroke and risk factors of hemorrhagic stroke were used to detect the difference among distinct areas.

  Results   The age standar dized incidence of stroke in assigned sur veillant areas was higher than that in Jiangsu Province, and the age standardized incidence of stroke in Southern surveillant areas was similar to that of in high stroke incidence areas of China.Rate of preoral contraceptive user, mean of systolic pressure, mean of diastolic pressure, averge age of stroke cases in Southern surveillant area were significantly higher than those in Northern surveillant area.There was asignificant concordance between trends of combined oral contraceptive usingrate and stroke incidence duringthe past 7 years in tworepresentative regions.

  Conclusion   In female population, prevention and treatment of stroke is a growing important matter.To control the different risk factors of stroke in distinct areas is a reasonable method in the stroke prevention.