Sex Differences in Management and Outcomes of Cardioembolic Stroke: Post HOC Analyses of the RELAXED Study

Factors influencing recurrence after an ischemic stroke vary by sex

OBJECTIVES

To determine the factors that affect recurrent stroke after acute ischemic stroke, specifically between male and female groups.

METHODS

We examined relative factors associated with recurrent stroke in Chinese patients with first-ever ischemic stroke. LASSO (least absolute shrinkage and selection operator) Cox regression were used to determine the predictors of recurrent stroke in the male and female groups. Next, We used Kaplan-Meier survival curves and interactions among these predictors to assess the association between relapse-related factors and recurrent stroke.

RESULTS

During one year of follow-up, we documented 42 incidents of recurrent stroke in males and 15 in females. There was no significant difference in the overall recurrence rate between men and women. We finally identified three variables in males and one variable in females associated considerably with recurrent stroke by LASSO Cox regression. In females, good sleep appeared to be the most significant protective factor against recurrent stroke(hazard ratio [HR], 0.21; 95% CI, 0.08-0.57). In the male group, we found two risk factors: atherosclerotic burden (HR, 2.42; 95% CI, 1.30-4.51) and coronary heart disease (HR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.16-7.66); and one protective factor: domestic/physical activities (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.24-0.83). We also found an interaction between good sleep and domestic/physical activities in males (Pinteraction = 0.016).

DISCUSSION

Our data indicate that the factors for recurrent stroke may differ by sex. Engaging in domestic/physical activities may substantially lower recurrent strokes in Chinese adult males. And good sleep in females appears to be more important in preventing stroke recurrence.

Systematic review on sex differences for drug use after stroke

INTRODUCTION

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses have synthetized the existing knowledge on sex-differences for the risk of stroke, the most recent ones highlighting an increased risk of stroke for women. However, whether there are sex differences in post stroke treatment in real world setting is not known. We therefore conducted a systematic review on this subject.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

All observational studies on sex-differences in poststroke drug use published until 20/04/2021 were identified from PubMed and Scopus. Articles were selected and assessed by two independent readers; a third resolved disagreements. Data extraction was performed using a standardized form; articles quality was assessed using the STROBE guidelines. The study is registered on PROSPERO: CRD42021250256.

RESULTS

Of the 604 identified articles, 33 were included. Most were published before 2015 and presented methodological limitations. These limitations differentially affected studies with statistically significant and non-significant results, questioning the reliability of conflicting results. The exploration of sex-differences in drug use varied between therapeutic classes (articles focusing on thrombolytics: 25; antithrombotics: 23; on antihypertensive: 13; lipid-lowering drugs: 9). After stroke, women were found less likely to be prescribed antithrombotics in 48% of the articles investigating this class, and lipid-lowering drugs in 56%. Thirty-one percent of the studies concerning antihypertensive drugs reported the opposite.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

In women, a lack of use of antithrombotics and lipid-lowering drugs after stroke seem to emerge from this review. Conflicting results regarding sex-differences might relate to methodological limitations in studies with no statistical differences, and advocate for the conduct of newer and more comprehensive research.