Key result
Intravenous thrombolysis improved NIHSS scores in both genders, though women showed a trend toward less improvement likely due to their older age compared to men (73.7 vs 68.2 years; P<0.001).
Why the study?
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, and gender differences in outcomes after intravenous thrombolytic and conservative treatment for acute ischemic stroke are not well characterized.
Does gender affect the clinical improvement in patients receiving intravenous thrombolytic treatment for acute ischemic stroke?
Observational (n=2,872)
No
Does gender affect the clinical improvement in patients receiving intravenous thrombolytic treatment for acute ischemic stroke?
Both men and women benefit from IV thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke, though women may show slightly less improvement due to older age at presentation.
IV thrombolysis benefits both genders; leaves open independent gender effects beyond age and should not yet change practice.
Background: Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the main cause of long term disability in western societies. Methods:In the 5 years 2005 to 2009, 2872 ischemic stroke patients were admitted to our stroke unit and registered in a national database.The data was analyzed retrospectively.Results: 50.8% of the patients were women.The mean age of the patients was 69.5 [18 -97].The mean NIHS at admission was 7.2 [0 -40], at discharge 4.9 [0 -37].22.9 % of all admitted stroke patients were treated with IV thrombolysis.Women treated with thrombolysis were significantly older than men (mean age 73.7, range 28 -97 vs. 68.2ranges 18 -89, p< 0.001).Although a highly significant improvement of NIHS was seen in both genders after thrombolytic treatment, women had trends towards less gain in thrombolysis Conclusions: In a clinic with high turnover rates and a thrombolysis rate of 22.9% we could confirm that patients of both genders benefit from thrombolytic treatment, whereby women did not show such a significant improvement most likely due to older age compared to men.
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Erasmia Broussalis (2011) conducted an observational in Acute Ischemic Stroke (n=2,872). Intravenous thrombolysis vs. Conservative treatment was evaluated on Improvement of NIHS (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale). Intravenous thrombolysis improved NIHSS scores in both genders, though women showed a trend toward less improvement likely due to their older age compared to men (73.7 vs 68.2 years; P<0.001).
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