Women fare better than men after TIA

Women have a better prognosis than men within the first year after hospital discharge for a TIA, researchers report. Published in Stroke, the study found that that compared to men, women were 30% less likely to have a stroke, 14% less likely to have a cardiac event, and 26% less likely to die within the first 30 days after discharge for TIA, even after adjusting for comorbid conditions, including pre-existing coronary heart disease. The study of 76,108 women and 45,955 men with an average age of 79 also found that within 1 year of discharge for TIA, women were 15% less likely to have a stroke, 19% less likely to have a cardiac event, and 22% less likely to die. The risk of recurrent TIA was marginally higher in women than in men in the first year after discharge. There are a number of plausible explanations for the findings, the researchers noted, such as etiologic differences in TIA between men and women. For example, men may have a higher proportion of TIAs caused by large artery atherosclerosis, which is associated with greater stroke risk. They also suggested that lower event rates in women could also be attributable to differences in care-seeking behaviours, initial diagnostic evaluation, or the receipt of and/or compliance with secondary prevention measures. "Further investigation into the underlying causes for these sex-based differences may help improve care and outcomes for both men and women after TIA and will be critical in planning for the future healthcare needs of these patients," they concluded....