Do stroke services still show sex differences? A multicenter study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Growing concern regarding sex differences in stroke necessitates further multicenter research.
• Previous studies highlight the need for comprehensive analysis of sex variations in stroke epidemiology and outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare sex differences in stroke risk factors, severity, quality of care, and outcomes.
• To analyze stroke characteristics in women across different age groups and countries.

Main Methods:

• Multicenter retrospective cross-sectional study involving 18,659 patients from 9 countries.
• Comparison of sexes regarding risk factors, stroke severity, quality of services, and outcomes.
• Analysis of conventional risk factors in women by age group and country.

Main Results:

• Women were older, with higher prevalence of atrial fibrillation, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.
• Ischemic stroke was more severe in women, leading to worse outcomes (p < 0.0001), despite shorter time to treatment.
• Women had greater access to bridging therapy (p=0.002) and revascularization.

Conclusions:

• Significant sex differences observed in stroke risk factors, severity, and outcomes.
• Women showed a trend towards better access to revascularization treatments.
• Country-specific variations in stroke demographics, risk factors, and management were identified.