Neurological

ASA: women at higher risk for depression after stroke

HealthDay News – Female stroke patients are at higher risk for post-stroke depression (PSD) than male stroke patients. This is evident from two studies presented at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference, which took place virtually March 17-19.

The first study, led by Naomi Mayman of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, assessed predictors of PSD based on unidentified inpatient, outpatient, and subacute Medicare care data (2016-2017). Stroke patients (174,901) developed depression almost 1.5 percent more often than patients with myocardial infarction (193,418) during the 1.5-year follow-up period. PSD was most strongly predicted by a history of anxiety, while home discharge was the most protective. PSD was more common in female patients, white patients, and patients under the age of 75.

In the second study, also conducted by Mayman, the analysis included unidentified data for U.S. Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 and over who were approved for an ischemic stroke (July 1, 2016 through December 31, 2017). The researchers found that female stroke patients (90,474) were 20 percent more likely than male patients (84,427) to develop PSD in fitted models. During the 1.5-year follow-up period, the cumulative risk of depression in women was constantly increased, even in an adapted analysis (hazard ratio, 1.20).

“Our current results underscore the need for active screening and treatment of depression in the immediate and post-stroke period and the importance of screening all stroke patients for post-stroke depression, including women and patients with a history of mental illness,” said a co-author said in a statement.

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Subjects:

Depression Health Disparity Neurobehavioral Disorders Stroke Women’s Health

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