title: Gender and cervical artery dissection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze previously established gender differences in cervical artery dissection (CeAD).
  
  
  METHODS
  This case-control study is based on the CADISP (Cervical Artery Dissection and Ischemic Stroke Patients) population comprising 983 consecutive CeAD patients (mean age: 44.1 ± 9.9 years) and 658 control patients with a non-CeAD ischemic stroke (IS) (44.5 ± 10.5 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cervical artery dissection was more common in men (56.7% vs. 43.3%, P < 0.001) and men were older (46.4 vs. 41.0 years, P < 0.001). We assessed putative risk factors for CeAD including vascular risk factors, recent cervical trauma, pregnancies, and infections. All gender differences in the putative risk factors and outcome were similar in the CeAD and the non-CeAD IS groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our analysis of the largest collection of CeAD patients to date confirms male predominance and differences in age at dissection between men and women. Gender differences in putative risk factors may explain the higher frequency of CeAD in men and their older age, but the putative risk factors are probably not specific for CeAD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. antti.metso@helsinki.fi
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Metso
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Metso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Debette
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dallongeville
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lyrer
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pezzini
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lichy
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kloss
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brandt
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Touzé
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Southerland
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Worrall
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: del Zotto
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leys
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Engelter
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Grond-Ginsbach
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tatlisumak
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000784:Aortic Dissection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019370:Observation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*