Men more likely to suffer stroke after mini-stroke

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Yale University  found that women are less likely than men to have a stroke after mini-stroke.Their findings underscore the need to continue researching gender differences in disease prevention and follow-up care.

The researchers said that their study found that 30 days after a transient ischemic attack - called mini-stroke because it produces stroke-like symptoms but rarely causes lasting damage - women are 30 percent less likely to have a stroke, 14 percent less likely to have heart-related problems and 26 percent less likely to die than men of the same age.

Judith H. Lichtman, Ph.D., an associate professor at Yale School of Public Health and the study’s lead author, said that while additional research is needed to better understand the reasons for the gender-related difference in health outcomes, the findings could help improve prevention and heart-related care for both men and women.

The study appears online in the journal Stroke and was presented at the American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference in San Diego.