Sex differences in risk factors for acute stroke

Abstract

Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in both developed countries and developing countries. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are differences in demographic characteristics, life habits (e.g.smoking and consumption of alcohol) and medical anamnesis of men and women diseased by acute stroke. Using cross - sectional study, the patients that were diagnosed with acute stroke and hospitalized in the period from November 1st to November 30th 2014. In Special Hospital for Cerebrovascular Diseases Sveti Sava in Belgrade were taken into account. Discharge lists from these patients were read through and analyzed giving data about general demographic characteristics, life habits (e.g. smoking and alcohol consumption) and medical anamnesis (arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, cardiac disorders (arrhythmia, the heart failure, coronary artery disease ), atherosclerosis). For statistical analysis we used the ch² and t - test. The total number of hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of acute stroke in the given period was 113, of which 57 were males (50.4 %) and 56 females (49.6 %). The average age of patients with stroke was significantly higher in women than in men (t = 2.62; DF = 111; p = 0.010). Men were significantly more likely to consume alcohol than women (ch² = 7.35; p = 0.007), while in the other examined risk factors for acute stroke, there was no statistically significant difference between men and women. The results point that men and women with acute stroke statistically significantly differ in relation to age and alcohol consumption.