Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41701350›Full record

Observational studyJournal of neurology2026

Sex differences in baseline characteristics, stroke care, and outcomes across socioeconomic settings: a multicentre study from Switzerland, Poland, and Ukraine.

Charlotte Berger, Helly Hammer, Marino Costa, Pawel Lowiec, Andriy Yagensky, Adrian Scutelnic, Kateryna Antonenko, Olga Biletska, Bartosz Karaszewski, Hakan Sarikaya and 8 more

Abstract readMulticenter StudyObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in Journal of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

18 authors.

Charlotte Berger *Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0000-2028-8281
Helly Hammer *Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Marino CostaDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Pawel LowiecDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Andriy YagenskyRegional Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Communal Enterprise "Medical Association of Lutsk City Territorial Community", Lutsk, Ukraine.
Adrian ScutelnicDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Kateryna AntonenkoDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Olga BiletskaRegional Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Communal Enterprise "Medical Association of Lutsk City Territorial Community", Lutsk, Ukraine.
Bartosz KaraszewskiDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Hakan SarikayaDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Tomasz ZdrojewskiDepartment of Cardiovascular Prevention, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Anastasiia KlymiukRegional Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Communal Enterprise "Medical Association of Lutsk City Territorial Community", Lutsk, Ukraine.
Claudio LA BassettiDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Natalia YashchukRegional Center for Cardiovascular Disease, Communal Enterprise "Medical Association of Lutsk City Territorial Community", Lutsk, Ukraine.
Kamil ChwojnickiDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Marcel ArnoldDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Hugo SanerInstitute for Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Mirjam R HeldnerDepartment of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. mirjam.heldner@insel.ch.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionWhile stroke risk and burden vary across Europe, the combined impact of sex and socioeconomic context on stroke care and recovery remains poorly understood. PATIENTS AND

methodsThis observational multicentre cohort study analyzed prospectively collected registry data from patients with acute ischemic stroke from three tertiary care hospitals in different socioeconomic settings: Bern/Switzerland (high-income region; women = 128/293(43.7%)), Gdansk/Poland (high-income region; women = 54/139(38.8%)), and Lutsk/Ukraine (low-income region; women = 86/188(45.7%)).

resultsWe analyzed the data of 620 patients (median age CH-W/M:77.4/71.2;PL-W/M:75.5/67.0;UA-W/M:73.0/67.0;p-all = 0.051/p-W = 0.434/p-M = 0.130) admitted between 7 and 12/2019. There were significant differences between countries in women's pre-stroke mRS: 0-1 (women: Switzerland: 73.6%/Poland: 62.9%; p-all/women < 0.001) and BMI (women: Switzerland: 24.2/Poland: 27.9/Ukraine: 29.3; p-women < 0.001). Stroke severity differed overall and between sexes (median NIHSS women: Switzerland: 4/Poland: 13/Ukraine: 7, men: Switzerland: 4/Poland: 9/Ukraine: 7; p-all < 0.001; p-women/men = 0.005). Atrial fibrillation was more common in women (women: Switzerland: 31.3%/Poland: 57.4%/Ukraine: 47.7%) vs. men (men: Switzerland: 26.1%/Poland: 31.8%/Ukraine: 32.4%; p-all = 0.006/p-women = 0.002), as was arterial hypertension (p-all/women/men < 0.001), with the highest rates in Ukraine (all: 87.2%). Smoking status differed significantly overall (p-all < 0.001), with the lowest rates in Ukrainian women (never smokers: 96.5%) and highest in Swiss men (active smokers: 40.7%). Initial neuroimaging differed significantly by country, with the highest MRI use in Swiss women (women: Switzerland: 49.6%/Poland: 14.8%/Ukraine: 16.3%), highest CT use in Ukrainian men (men: Switzerland: 25.8%/Poland: 45.9%/Ukraine: 72.5%) and lowest use of both modalities in Ukraine (p-all/women/men < 0.001). Therapy (IVT/EVT/craniectomy/conservative) also differed significantly (p-all/women/men < 0.001), with conservative therapy most common in Ukraine (women: 96.5%/men: 94.1%). 3-month excellent outcome was significantly higher in Swiss vs. Ukrainian women (adjusted-OR-Swiss-Ukrainian-women = 2.96; adjusted-p-women = 0.015). 3-month mortality did not differ significantly. 3-month smoking rates were higher in Switzerland vs. Ukraine (adjusted-OR-Swiss-Ukrainian-women = 9; adjusted-p-Swiss-Ukrainian-women = 0.05; adjusted-OR-Swiss-Ukrainian-men = 9.75; adjusted-p-Swiss-Ukrainian-men = 0.004). DISCUSSION AND

conclusionSwiss versus Ukrainian women were three times more likely to achieve excellent 3-month outcomes, associated with disparities in prevention strategies. These findings highlight the need for sex-, gender-, and socioeconomic-specific approaches to stroke prevention, with tailored interventions to reduce inequalities.

Indexed as

Ischemic StrokeSex CharacteristicsStrokeAgedAged, 80 and overCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPolandRegistriesSex FactorsSocioeconomic Disparities in HealthSocioeconomic FactorsSwitzerlandOutcomeSecondary preventionSex differencesSocioeconomic environmentsStroke

Identifiers

PMID41701350
PMCPMC13658340

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