Introduction:
Little information is known about the race and gender differences in stroke severity of acute ischemic stroke (AIS) among those presenting with and without a recurrent stroke (RS).
Methods:
The study is limited to white and black patients who were admitted with an AIS in the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program from 2012-2014. There were 157 967 admissions from 453 hospitals identified. After excluding those with missing NIHSS (33 017), the analysis focused on 124 950 patients.
Results:
The median age of blacks and females was greater than for whites and males, 74 vs 63 and 75 vs 68, respectively. RS accounted for 21.8% of AIS in white males, 21.2% in white females, 28.3% in black males, and 30.0% in black females. The median NIHSS was higher among females with initial stroke or RS stroke (4.0 vs 3.0 and 5.0 vs 4.0, respectively, p<0.0001) and higher among blacks with initial stroke or RS (4.0 vs 3.0 and 5.0 vs 4.0, respectively, p<0.0001). Overall in-hospital death was greater among whites and females compared to blacks and males (4.1% vs 2.9%, p<0.0001; 4.2% vs 3.5%, p<0.0001, respectively), and this pattern was consistent for initial AIS and RS. Use of tPA was greater among whites and males compared to blacks and females (11.6% vs 10.3%, p<0.0001; 11.5 vs 11.1%, p=0.02, respectively). This pattern was consistent for initial AIS and RS by race and for initial AIS by gender, but not for tPA for RS by gender. Females and blacks were less likely to have a mild stroke (NIHSS score 0-4) than males and whites for both initial and RS (p<0.0001). After adjusting for age, state, hospital, and year, the odds of having an NIHSS ≥5 was 16% lower among males, 36% greater among blacks, and 38% greater for those with a RS (data not shown).
Conclusion:
Race and gender differences on age, stroke severity, receipt of tPA, and in-hospital death among initial AIS patients persist for RS. Blacks, females, and those with a RS have more severe AIS.
Incidence of systemic lupus erythematosus race and gender differences
