Sex differences in the management of patients hospitalized with ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

Publication/Presentation Date

4-1-1995

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Previous studies suggest that the management of coronary artery disease differs for women compared with men. We examined this issue for ischemic cerebrovascular disease.

METHODS: We reviewed the use of angiography and carotid endarterectomy among patients discharged from Connecticut hospitals during 6 years over the past decade. Crude and age-adjusted rates of angiography and endarterectomy were determined for each sex.

RESULTS: Among 22,582 female and 19,729 male patients discharged, the rate of cerebral angiography was 11.8% for men and 7.2% for women; the age-adjusted odds ratio was 0.77 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.72 to 0.82). The rate of endarterectomy was 10.6% for men and 5.7% for women; the age-adjusted odds ratio was 0.67 (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.72). The distribution of cerebrovascular disease type differed by sex, however, with carotid artery disease representing a larger proportion of men (12.2% [2415/19,729]) than women (6.9% [1554/22,582]) (chi 2 = 355.8, P < .0001). When restricted to this diagnosis, no sex differences exist (odds ratio for angiography, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.87 to 1.14] and for endarterectomy, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.81 to 1.07]).

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, women hospitalized for ischemic cerebrovascular disease undergo fewer angiograms and are less likely to have carotid endarterectomy than men. These differences are not found when analysis is restricted to subjects with carotid disease and suggest that part of the difference in management may be due to biological differences between men and women.

Volume

26

Issue

4

First Page

577

Last Page

580

ISSN

0039-2499

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

PubMedID

7709400

Department(s)

Department of Surgery

Document Type

Article

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