Gender Differences in the Mortality and Outcome of Stroke Patients in Korea

Background: We aimed to determine gender differences in outcomes and mortality in Korean stroke patients. Methods: We analyzed the demographics, risk factors, in-hospital mortality, functional outcomes at discharge, and any-cause mortality over a 5-year period for 18,364 Korean patients, and determined a cumulative mortality rate using Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression analyses to elucidate gender differences in stroke outcomes. Results: Women suffered strokes that were severer than those suffered by men. Although women had a lower risk of any-cause death than men, they exhibited poorer functional status at discharge. Conclusion: In Korea, women lived longer, but had greater disabilities after strokes than men, indicating the need to develop gender-specific interventions to improve stroke outcomes and reduce the disability burden in women. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel