title: Sex differences in stroke incidence and survival in Hong Kong, 2000-2007.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Few studies have examined the impact of sex across different age groups and over time on chronic diseases in Asia. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of sex across different age groups and over time on stroke incidence and 30-day case fatality in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Over 90% first hospitalizations for stroke in Hong Kong (from 2000 to 2007) were identified from the Clinical Management System of the Hospital Authority. Age-specific rate ratios (RRs; women to men) for incidence of first hospitalization and the 30-day case fatality were estimated based on Poisson regression models after adjustment for year of hospitalization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Women below the age of 85 years had a lower incidence of first hospitalization than men, and the effect size varied with age [35-44 years: RR = 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.49-0.64; 45-54 years: 0.65, 0.53-0.79; 55-64 years: 0.58, 0.48-0.71; 65-74 years: 0.71, 0.58-0.85; 75-84 years: 0.83, 0.68-1.00)]. Women aged ≥85 years had a stroke incidence similar to men, but the adjusted 30-day case fatality was significantly higher than that of men aged ≥85 years (RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.05-1.23).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Lower rates of incidence were observed in women than men aged 35-84 years in Hong Kong but short-term case fatality is greater in women aged ≥85 years.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, PR China.
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Chau
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Goggins
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sham
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Woo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality*; D015996:Survival Rate