Rehab after Stroke – Gender Differences

Italian researchers have done an interesting study on the success of rehabilitation after stroke in men and women. Published in the journal Stroke, the study describes the outcome of 440 consecutive ischemic stroke patients – 220 of each sex, matched for stroke severity, age, and onset-admission interval. Their average age was 68.

A difference in some ‘higher levels’ of response to rehabilitation – e.g. stair climbing and activities of daily living (ADL). Men had a 3 times greater likelihood of gaining independence in both stair climbing and ADL. Women, on the other hand, were more likely to be walking with a cane or having only partial independence in ADL.

The researchers suggest the explanation for these gender differences may lie in differences in muscular strength, which is greater in men at all ages. This suggests, in turn, that women, as they get a little older, must emphasize resistance training activities, preferably in the gym, to try and be on equal footing with men should they have a stroke and be faced with rehabilitation.