Sex-Related Differences in Outcomes of Endovascular Treatment in Large Vessel Occlusion Stroke-Analyses From the German Stroke Registry-Endovascular Treatment.

Background: Sex-related differences in acute ischemic stroke may affect outcomes, yet evidence remains inconsistent. This large-scale study investigated sex-related differences in clinical presentation, peri-interventional parameters, and outcomes after endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) for large vessel occlusion (LVO) using data from the German Stroke Registry-Endovascular Treatment (GSR-ET).

Methods: We analyzed 11.896 EVT patients (52.2% female) from the GSR-ET (June 2015-December 2021) comparing clinical characteristics, treatment details, and outcomes by sex. Two propensity score matchings (PSM) were applied: (1) logistic regression model with a caliper width of 0.1 on age, pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale (pmRS), and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale at admission, and (2) 1:1 nearest neighbor matching with a caliper of 0.01. Primary outcomes were good (mRS 0-2) and excellent (mRS 0-1) outcomes at discharge and 90-day follow-up.

Results: Women were older (76.3 ± 12.7 vs. 70.2 ± 12.9 years, p < 0.001) and had higher pre-stroke disability (median pmRS 0 (0, 2) vs. 0 (0, 1), p < 0.001). Cardioembolic strokes were more frequent in women, even after PSM. Despite this, women had better odds of achieving good outcomes at discharge (adjusted OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.04-1.38, p = 0.013), but not at follow-up (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.78-1.05, p = 0.193). Both PSM analyses confirmed these findings.

Conclusions: While women demonstrated better short-term functional outcomes after EVT, these benefits diminished in follow-up. The persistence of cardioembolic stroke in women suggests potential sex-specific mechanisms. Understanding and addressing sex-related differences in stroke is essential to optimize acute stroke care and improve outcomes. Future studies should explore biological and socio-economic factors influencing sex-related differences.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03356392.