Investigation of Gender Differences and Exclusive Criteria in a Diabetic Acute Ischemic Stroke Population Treated with Recombinant Tissue-Type Plasminogen Activator (rtPA)

Background: Many studies have reported that women who survive stroke have less favorable outcomes than men in the use of rtPA, while others reported worse outcomes in men than women. The gender difference in the exclusion criteria in a diabetic stroke population is not fully understood. This issue was investigated in this study.

Method: In a diabetic stroke population from a stroke registry of data collected between January 2010 to June 30, 2016, the gender difference was determined using demographics and clinical factors. Comparison was determined using univariate analysis while multivariable model was used to adjust for the effect of confounding variables.

Results: In a diabetic stroke population of 439 patients, more females were excluded than males (P < 0.0001, OR = 2.323). The male exclusion was associated with atrial fibrillation (P = 0.011, OR = 3.697), carotid artery stenosis (P = 0.023, OR = 5.001), and cholesterol reducer (P = 0.037, OR = 0.409). In the female diabetic stroke population, exclusion from rtPA therapy was associated with language disturbances (P = 0.039, OR = 0.372), history of previous stroke (P = 0.005, OR = 3.276), antihypertensive medication use (P = 0.013, OR = 0.163), and antidiabetic medication use (P = 0.031, OR = 0.324).

Conclusion: In a stroke population, women have a worse outcome than men in an untreated acute ischemic stroke population, but when treated there is no significant difference, suggesting a better treatment outcome for women compared to men. In a diabetic stroke population, the clinical variables for the exclusion criteria for women and men are significantly different, even after adjustment for confounding variables.