THURSDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) — Married men with stroke symptoms are quicker to call for emergency help than married women, a new study finds.
Researchers reviewed data from 91 patients with stroke symptoms who were brought by emergency medical services (EMS) to the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Phoenix during a seven-month period ending June 30, 2011.
The average age of the patients was 76. About half were married and half were single.
The results showed that married men called EMS within 26 minutes of the start of stroke symptoms, compared to an average of 72 minutes for married women. Single men also called EMS earlier than single women, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Overall, married patients called EMS more quickly than single patients, but the difference was not significant, the researchers said.
The study was to be presented Thursday at the American Stroke Association meeting New Orleans.
The researchers plan to conduct a future study to examine why married men with stroke symptoms call EMS sooner than married women.
Because this study was presented at a medical meeting, the data and conclusions should be viewed as preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
More information
The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke has more about stroke risk factors and symptoms.