title: Sex differences in stroke survival: 10-year follow-up of the Copenhagen stroke study cohort.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although diverging, most studies show that sex has no significant influence on stroke survival.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a Copenhagen, Denmark, community all patients with stroke during March 1992 to November 1993 were registered on hospital admission. Stroke severity was measured using the Scandinavian Stroke Scale (0-58); computed tomography determined stroke type. A risk factor profile was obtained for all including ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, previous stroke, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Date of death was obtained within a 10-year follow-up period. Predictors of death were identified using a Cox proportional hazards model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 999 patients, 559 (56%) were women and 440 (44%) were men. Women were older (77.0 v 70.9 years; P < .001) and had more severe strokes (Scandinavian Stroke Scale: 36.1 v 40.5; P < .001). Age-adjusted risk factors showed no difference between sexes for ischemic heart disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, and previous stroke. Men more often were smokers and alcohol consumers. Unadjusted survival in men and women did not differ: 70.3% versus 66.7% (1-year), 40.0% versus 38.9% (5-year), and 17.4% versus 18.7% (10-year), respectively. Adjusting for age, stroke severity, stroke type, and risk factors, women had a higher probability of survival at 1 year (hazard ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.10-2.00); 5 years (hazard ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.23-1.76); and 10 years (hazard ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval 1.28-1.76). Before 9 months poststroke, no difference in survival was seen. Severity of stroke had the same effect on sex.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stroke is equally severe in men and women. Short-term survival is the same. Having survived stroke, women, however, live longer.
authors: Informatics and Mathematical Modeling, Section for Intelligent Signal Processing, Technical University of Denmark, Denmark.
authors: Morten Nonboe
authors: MN
authors: Andersen
authors: Klaus Kaae
authors: KK
authors: Andersen
authors: Lars Peter
authors: LP
authors: Kammersgaard
authors: Tom Skyhøj
authors: TS
authors: Olsen