Bruce SS, Merkler AE, Bassi M, et al. - In order to clarify if the diagnostic evaluation for stroke may vary between men and women, researchers undertook this retrospective cohort analysis. They analyzed claims data from a nationally representative 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries, for 2008 to 2016. The participants were patients ≥ 65 years old who were hospitalized with ischemic stroke. The overall sample comprised 78,822 patients with acute ischemic stroke, including 58.3% women. Reduced odds of intracranial vessel imaging, extracranial vessel imaging, heart-rhythm monitoring, echocardiography, assessment by a neurologist, and evaluation by a vascular neurologist, were reported in relation to the female gender, following adjustment for age, race, and comorbidities. Overall, a less likelihood of being evaluated by stroke specialists and of undergoing standard diagnostic testing was observed among women with acute ischemic stroke vs men in this nationally representative cohort of Medicare beneficiaries.