Sex and gender differences in cerebrovascular diseases and stroke have been increasingly recognized, with evidence suggesting variations in cerebrovascular risk factors, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, treatment responses, and outcomes between men and women. Stroke remains the third leading cause of death and the leading cause of disability in adults. Additionally, when considering cerebrovascular diseases leading to vascular dementia (VaD), a significantly higher risk of VaD in males than in females was found. Importantly, these sex differences in VaD prevalence seem to reverse with advancing age: after the age of 85, VaD is more prevalent in females. A possible explanation for these inconclusive results might lie in the evidence that the published data on stroke and cerebrovascular diseases have not explicitly separated sex and gender, or in the peculiar characteristics of the cohorts examined like age. Risk stratification and early identification of biomarkers of cerebrovascular diseases encompass the consideration of epidemiological, environmental, and biomedical parameters, including instrumental techniques (blood sample, brain and vascular imaging). However, the correct interpretation needs to account for sex diversity in physiological and pathophysiological responses, whose relevance and weight are still not completely understood. For example, men develop ischemic strokes at higher rates than women, but as women survive longer, annual stroke mortality is female-dominated. Understanding these disparities is crucial for optimizing stroke prevention and management and improving patient outcomes.

This Research Topic aims to collect the most recent and innovative findings addressing sex and gender differences in cerebrovascular pathologies and stroke, with a dedicated spotlight on the identification of the role of risk factors and early biomarkers of stroke through laboratory and instrumental measures including neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and neurosonology. We aim to promote the development of personalized strategies for stroke prevention, acute management, and long-term care considering sex-specific factors.

We welcome the submission of any type of manuscript supported by the journal (including original research, review, brief research report, opinion articles, etc.) addressing the impact of sex and gender on biomedical parameters (including laboratory and instrumental measures of neuroimaging, electrophysiology, and neurosonology) related to risk factors, biomarkers, and prognostic factors of cerebrovascular pathologies and stroke. The expected content includes but is not limited to research accounting for sex/gender differences in cerebrovascular diseases, such as:

- Sex/gender epidemiological data about cerebrovascular disease and stroke
- In vitro and in vivo preclinical research about sex differences in stroke
- New guidelines for sex/gender-specific risk stratification based on blood parameters
- Cerebrovascular disease, silent infarcts, and gender
- Sex/gender-specific characteristics of post-stroke depression and cognitive impairment
- Sex-guided clinical intervention, drug therapies, and randomized studies on stroke and cerebrovascular disease
- Sex-related differences in the genetics and omics of cerebrovascular diseases and stroke
- Socioeconomical burden of the gender gap

Impact

Frontiers in Stroke

Population Health and Risk Factors of Stroke