Sex differences in risk factors, etiology, and short-term outcome of cerebral infarction in young patients

Abstract

Investigations to date have demonstrated that the underlying etiology, causes and burden of stroke may be different for women and men. However, data regarding sex differences among young cerebral ischemic stroke patients remains scarce. We conducted this study in 669 young Chinese adults with acute ischemic stroke as determined by the modified Rankin Scale at discharge. Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis confirmed that NIHSS score (OR 1.277; 95% CI 1.179–1.383, p=0.000), diabetes mellitus (OR 0.121; 95% CI 0.0209–0.718, p=0.020) and serum glucose levels on admission (OR 1.135; 95% CI 0.997–1.293, p=0.046) independently predict short-term outcomes at discharge in young female patients with acute stroke, but the significant variables related to male patients appeared to be Apo A1 (OR 0.165; 95% CI 0.035–0.776, p=0.023) and NIHSS score on admission (OR 1.458; 95% CI 1.325–1.605, p=0.000). In our series, our data suggest that there are several sex differences for risk of cerebral infarction in young patients, which have important implications for the diagnosis, management and prognosis of stroke in young adults.