Sex Differences Among Participants in the Latin American Stroke Registry

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Limited data exists on sex-based disparities in stroke outcomes and risk factors within Latin America.
• Understanding these differences is crucial for targeted stroke prevention and management strategies in the region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare clinical characteristics and short-term prognostic outcomes between male and female stroke patients.
• To analyze sex-specific differences in stroke risk factors, presentation, and functional recovery using data from the Latin American Stroke Registry (LASE).

Main Methods:

• A multicenter prospective study involving 19 centers across Central and South America.
• Data collected included demographics, vascular risk factors, stroke type, diagnostic tests, and functional outcomes at hospital discharge.
• Analysis focused on comparing outcomes between male and female patients from January 2012 to January 2017.

Main Results:

• The study included 4788 patients (2677 male, 2111 female).
• Women had a higher rate of poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale 3-6) at 38.2% compared to men (P<0.001).
• Mortality was higher in women (7.8%) than in men (6.0%) (P=0.01), with women showing a 1.3 hazard ratio for death and 1.1 for poor functional outcome.

Conclusions:

• Women in the LASE registry experienced significantly worse functional outcomes and higher mortality rates compared to men.
• These findings confirm the existence of sex-based differences in stroke prognosis in Latin America, necessitating sex-specific clinical considerations.