Incidence and Outcomes of Acute Ischemic Stroke Following Percutaneous Coronary Interventions in Men Versus Women

Comparative data on the incidence and outcomes of stroke after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) between men and women are limited. We identified hospitalizations for PCI in the National-Inpatient-Sample between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2016. We compared the incidence of post-PCI stroke and in-hospital complications, mortality, and cost of post-PCI strokes between men and women. Among 8,753,574 weighted hospitalizations for PCI, 49,097 (0.56%) were complicated with ischemic stroke. The incidence of post-PCI stroke was higher in women than men following PCI for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) 1.4% versus 0.8% (odds ratio [OR] 1.69, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.62 to 1.77, p0.001), non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) 1.1% versus 0.7% (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.52 to 1.63, p0.001), and unstable angina/stable ischemic heart disease (US/SIHD) (0.5% vs 0.3%, OR 1.66, 95% CI 1.61 to 1.72, p0.001). These differences remained significant after risk adjustment. Among patients with post-PCI stroke, women had worse on-hospital mortality, and major complications compared with men. However, after propensity score matching, post-PCI mortality was similar in men and women who suffered a stroke after STEMI (23.0% vs 25.7%, p = 0.34), and NSTEMI (9.9% vs 9.1%, p = 0.56), but higher in women who suffered a stroke after PCI for UA/SIHD (12.5% vs 10.4%, p = 0.042). Surrogates of disabling stroke, length of stay, and cost were similar in men and women. However, women had more vascular complications and blood transfusion across all indications. In conclusion, women are more likely to suffer post-PCI stroke than males regardless of the PCI indication. Among those with post-PCI strokes, women have higher adjusted rates of vascular complications and blood transfusion.