Women less likely than men to receive ‘most effective’ stroke treatment
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When emergent large vessel occlusions cause strokes, women are less likely than men to receive timely care, according to a study presented at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery’s Annual Meeting.
Thrombectomies, which are minimally invasive procedures that use catheters to reopen blocked arteries in the brain, are the most effective treatment for helping to prevent long-term disabilities from stroke, the researchers said.
“Many of the women who suffer emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) ischemic strokes are not being routed to the appropriate setting where they can get the most effective treatment,” author Muhammad Tariq, MD, a neurology resident at McGovern Medical School, said in a press release.
“These patients should be sent to comprehensive stroke centers, where the care team specializes in treating strokes and preventing further damage,” Tariq said.
According to the researchers, the personnel at comprehensive stroke centers have the expertise to perform thrombectomies as well as other procedures that are not available at primary stroke centers.
The researchers analyzed data from 10 stroke centers to determine which patients experiencing an ELVO were routed directly to comprehensive stroke centers for more intensive care.
Women made up 46% of the 490 patients who suffered an ELVO, the researchers said. They were nearly 11% less likely than men to be taken to a comprehensive stroke center. Meanwhile, 90% of the men who suffered an ELVO were routed directly to these centers.
“Women who suffer a stroke, not limited to an emergent large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke, have been identified to receive less stroke treatment,” author Youngran Kim, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of neurology at the McGovern Medical School, said in the press release.
Potential explanations for this, Kim said, could include the women’s failure to recognize stroke symptoms, which can delay care. Also, many women who suffer strokes tend to be older and frailer, and women are more likely to present with “nontraditional” stroke symptoms.
“My hope is that by presenting these results, we can help providers understand that we need to work to bridge the gender gap in health care,” said Tariq, who sees patients at UTHealth Neurosciences, a clinical practice at McGovern Medical School.
“There are already existing routing mechanisms to ensure that patients receive the best care for their chance at survival and recovery. I hope we can open up the conversation to show that there are patients who should be getting this treatment, but are actually not getting the help quick enough,” Tariq said.