Takeaway
There may be differences in early recovery from stroke between males and females, based on performance in activities of daily living per the Barthel-100 index. Tailoring early post-stroke care based on sex may help to improve rehabilitation outcomes.
Why this matters
Stroke is responsible for a significant burden of disease and disability, with 13.7 million new stroke cases, 80.1 million living stroke survivors, and 116.4 million disability-adjusted life years due to stroke worldwide in 2016, per the Global Burden of Disease study.
There is evidence to suggest clinically meaningful differences in stroke incidence, risk factors, severity, outcome, and mortality between male and female patients.
Research has also suggested sex differences in stroke rehabilitation, with a trend to better rehabilitation outcomes in male patients after 8 weeks to 12 months post-stroke. However, little research has been conducted in stroke recovery within the first 2 weeks post-stroke, and whether early stroke care can be better tailored to patient sex.