Women have more severe first strokes at an older age than men and remain more disabled, a study published in Stroke has found. It was also reported that men and women have differences in risk factors, the effects of stroke, complication rates and length of hospital stay.
Spanish researchers studied all first acute stroke patients (1,581) admitted to their hospital from December 1995 to January 2002. A total of 772 patients in the study were women (48%) and they tended to be older than the men (age 75 vs. 69).
The main risk factors in women were hypertension and cardioembolic diseases, mainly because women had a higher frequency of atrial fibrillation than men. Peripheral artery disease and overuse of alcohol were more likely associated with stroke in men. No gender differences were found for history of ischaemic heart disease, high cholesterol levels or diabetes.
Women were also more likely to experience aphasia (the inability to use or comprehend words), experience visual impairments, and dysphagia, which is difficulty chewing or swallowing. Women also had a poorer health condition at admission than men, had more frequent in-hospital medical complications and a longer hospital stay.
The researchers suggested that more women may experience disability than men after a stroke because of their older age, the greater severity of the strokes, and a higher rate of in-hospital medical complications.

Source: Roquer J et al. Stroke 2003, 34: 1581-5.