Sex-Specific Factors In Stroke

Stroke is a sexually dimorphic disease, identified through evidence derived from preclinical and clinical trials. Efficacy of prevention strategies, recognition of symptoms, acute stroke treatment options, and stroke recovery are influenced by sex-specific factors. The terms, "sex" and "gender" are often used interchangeably. By definition, sex is a biological variable, typically characterized as male, female, or intersex and includes indicators of biological sex, including sex chromosomes (XX and XY) and reproductive organs. Gender refers to attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that a culture associates with a person's biological sex. This chapter will focus on sex differences in ischemic stroke and will provide an update of emerging pre-clinical and clinical studies that confirm that sex is an important biological variable in ischemic brain injury.