Stroke Diagnosis Gaps Leave Women Behind

New research reveals critical delays in identifying strokes in women, with significant health and economic implications.

New Australian research highlights a concerning disparity in stroke identification, with women being significantly less likely than men to receive a timely and accurate diagnosis from emergency medical staff.

Unequal Detection Rates

The study, published in the *Medical Journal of Australia*, indicates that women are 11% less likely than men to be correctly identified as experiencing a stroke. This discrepancy could lead to poorer health outcomes and substantial economic losses.

Associate Professor **Lei Si**, a co-lead author of the study, stated that aligning diagnostic accuracy for women with that of men could yield significant benefits. “Our study shows that if we could match the accuracy with which men’s strokes are identified, women would gain an average of 51 extra days of life and nearly a month of life in perfect health – all while saving nearly $3000 in healthcare costs per patient,” **Si** explained.

At a national level, this improvement could translate to over 250 additional life years, 144 extra quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and $5.4 million in healthcare savings annually. Ischaemic stroke, responsible for approximately 85% of stroke cases in Australia, benefits greatly from prompt treatment within a critical 60-minute window.

Understanding Non-Typical Symptoms

Professor **Seana Gall**, an epidemiologist at the University of Tasmania, emphasized that women often present with “non-typical” stroke symptoms. “It is known that women are more likely to present with “non-typical” symptoms of stroke compared to men, which results in women with stroke not having access to timely care,” **Gall** noted. She stressed the need for enhanced training for medical staff on validated stroke identification tools and ensuring these tools are equally accurate for both sexes, particularly considering a broader range of symptoms.

The research underscores the importance of recognizing sex and gender differences in stroke presentation. Factors such as hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes, and a history of migraines are identified as female-specific stroke risk factors.

Personal accounts highlight the challenges. **Kelly Ryan**, who suffered a stroke at 32, was misdiagnosed with vertigo and a migraine for two weeks. Her symptoms included dizziness, blurred vision, vomiting, and severe headache, but she was initially dismissed because she did not present with the classic FAST signs. According to the National Institutes of Health, while stroke can happen to anyone, certain risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, and atrial fibrillation disproportionately affect women, increasing their vulnerability (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, 2024).

Increasing awareness among the public and healthcare professionals about these broader signs and symptoms, especially in younger women and those undergoing significant life transitions like pregnancy or menopause, is crucial for improving stroke outcomes.