Sex-Related Differences in Post-Stroke Anxiety, Depression and Quality of Life in a Cohort of Smokers

• Published in: Brain sciences Vol. 14; no. 6; p. 521
• Main Authors: Suñer-Soler, Rosa, Maldonado, Eduard, Rodrigo-Gil, Joana, Font-Mayolas, Silvia, Gras, Maria Eugenia, Terceño, Mikel, Silva, Yolanda, Serena, Joaquín, Grau-Martín, Armand
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 21-05-2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Addictions; Anxiety; depression; Depression, Mental; Gender differences; Hospitals; Mental depression; Quality of life; Questionnaires; Regression analysis; Risk factors; Sex differences; Smokers; Smoking; Sociodemographics; Stroke; Tobacco; Variables; Womens health; Spain; anxiety; depression; quality of life; stroke; smoking
• ISSN: 2076-3425; 2076-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060521

We aimed to study anxiety, depression and quality of life in smokers after stroke by sex.
A longitudinal prospective study with a 24-month follow-up of acute stroke patients who were previously active smokers. Anxiety and depression were evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, and quality of life was evaluated with the EQ-5D questionnaire.
One hundred and eighty patients participated (79.4% men); their mean age was 57.6 years. Anxiety was most prevalent at 3 months (18.9% in men and 40.5% in women) and depression at 12 months (17.9% in men and 27% in women). The worst perceived health occurred at 24 months (EQ-VAS 67.5 in men and 65.1 in women), which was associated with depression (
< 0.001) and Rankin Scale was worse in men (
< 0.001) and depression in women (
< 0.001). Continued tobacco use was associated with worse perceived health at 3 months in men (
= 0.034) and at 12 months in both sexes. Predictor variables of worse perceived health at 24 months remaining at 3 and 12 months were tobacco use in men and neurological damage in women.
Differences by sex are observed in the prevalence of anxiety and depression and associated factors and in the predictive factors of perceived health.