Sex Differences in the Incidence and Outcomes of COPD Patients Hospitalized with Ischemic Stroke in Spain: A Population-Based Observational Study

PURPOSE: To compare the incidence, clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients admitted with ischemic stroke (IS) according to the presence of COPD and sex in Spain (2016–2018). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We selected all admissions with IS (≥35 years) included in the Spanish National Hospital Discharge Database. We matched each patient suffering COPD with a non-COPD patient with identical age, sex, IS type and year of hospitalization. RESULTS: IS was coded in 92,524 men and 79,731 women (8.67% with COPD). The incidence of IS was higher in COPD men than in non-COPD men (IRR 1.04; 95% CI 1.03–1.06), although the differences were not significant among women. COPD men had twice higher incidence of IS than COPD women (IRR 2.00; 95% CI 1.93–2.07). After matching, COPD men had a higher in-hospital mortality (IHM) than non-COPD men (11.48% vs 9.80%; p<0.001), and the same happened among women (14.09% vs 11.96%; p=0.002). COPD men received thrombolytic therapy less frequently than non-COPD men. For men and women, the risk of dying in the hospital increased with age, some comorbidities and mechanical ventilation use. After multivariable adjustment, COPD increased the risk of IHM in men (OR 1.16; 95% CI 1.06–1.28) and women (OR 1.12; 95% CI 1.01–1.27). Finally, among COPD patients, being women increased the risk of dying during the hospitalization with IS by 15% (OR 1.15; 95% CI 1.03–1.28). CONCLUSION: Incidence of IS was higher in COPD patients, although the difference was only significant for men. COPD was associated with an increased risk of IHM. Among COPD patients, women had higher IHM.