Sex differences in modifiable stroke risk factors

In this issue of Neurology ® , Peters et al.1 describe their findings of sex differences in the association between key modifiable stroke risk factors and incident stroke and provide overall sex-specific stroke incidence rates. The authors' findings of sex differences in the strength of association between modifiable risk factors and stroke offer critical insights as to the importance of a more personalized approach to stroke prevention. A major strength of this analysis is its size; 471,971 adult participants from the UK Biobank were prospectively followed for a median of 9 years. The large sample size enabled authors to evaluate associations between risk factors and stroke incidence overall and by stroke subtype, an important distinction given differences in pathophysiologic mechanisms between ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.