Women are 11 per cent less likely than men to be correctly diagnosed with a stroke by emergency medical staff, new research has found.
The gap in pre-hospital stroke recognition means many women miss early treatment opportunities. Researchers estimate equal diagnosis rates could give women an average of 51 additional days of life.
The study, led from Australia, found that matching stroke identification accuracy in women to that of men could also save nearly US$3,000 in healthcare costs per patient.
Nationally, this could amount to over 250 additional life years, 144 extra QALYs and US$5.4m in savings each year.
The difference in diagnosis was particularly marked in people aged under 70, with strokes in women less likely to be picked up by paramedics than in men.
Associate Professor Lei Si, the study’s co-lead, said: “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 US$3,000 in healthcare costs per patient.
“At the national level, this could translate to over 250 additional life years, 144 extra QALYs and US$5.4 million in healthcare savings each year.”
QALYs – or quality-adjusted life years – combine both the length and quality of life, with one QALY equal to one year in full health.
In Australia, around 85 per cent of strokes are acute ischaemic strokes, which occur when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the brain.
The standard treatment is intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), a clot-dissolving drug that must be given quickly.
Associate Professor Si said early recognition before hospital arrival improves the likelihood of receiving IVT within the critical 60-minute treatment window.
Women often have symptoms beyond the typical FAST signs – Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, and Time to call emergency services – such as headache, confusion, nausea or fatigue.
Professor Seana Gall, an epidemiologist at the University of Tasmania, said: “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.
“We need to ensure that emergency medical staff are properly trained to use validated tools to identify stroke in women and men.
“We also need to ensure the tools we have to identify strokes are equally accurate in men and women, potentially considering the possibility of non-typical symptoms and signs.”
Professor Gall said women face higher stroke risks at specific life stages, particularly during pregnancy, the post-partum period and through menopause.
“Women with stroke presenting with these other signs may be missed, leading to delayed diagnosis,” she said.
She noted hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, gestational diabetes and a history of migraine as female-specific risks and said women with these conditions may benefit from intervention to address other stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure.
She added: “Recognising the potential for stroke in women of all ages, but particularly younger women, is very important.”
