Understanding Differences in Sex Characteristics in Patients Admitted for Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder in the United States
Maya Gabel1, Prince Pekyi-Boateng2, Fifi Duodu2, Nana Kyei-Frimpong3, Nana Boakye Agyeman Badu-Prempeh4, Shaheen Sombans5, Sukhmeet Dhillon6, Balkiranjit Kaur Dhillon6, Patrick Deladem Pekyi-Boateng7, Jeffrey Parker8, Salini Ajitha9, Hemamalini Sakthivel10, Kamleshun Ramphul6
1University of Miami, 2Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, 337 Military Hospital, 4Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 5Fernandez Foundation, 6Independent Researcher, 7Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science and Technology, 8Accra Medical Center, 9TD Medical College, 10One Brooklyn Health System/Interfaith Medical Ctr Program
Objective:
To identify the differences associated with birth-assigned sex among individuals with Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD).
Background:
NMOSD is an immune-mediated neurological disease diagnosed based on clinical, radiological and serology findings. Due to females being mostly affected, there is paucity of data about characteristics in males and how these compare to females.
Design/Methods:
Using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database from 2016-2020, we queried patients admitted for NMOSD based on ICD-10 codes. We compared the prevalence of comorbidities between males and females.
Results:
A total of 9,300 patients were hospitalized for NMOSD between 2016 and 2020, 21% male and 79% female. Most patients were between 30-59 years of age (53.1% males vs 59.6% females). Mean age for males and females was 41.08 and 42.7 years, respectively (p<0.01). Males had higher prevalence of comorbidities such as hyperlipidemia (17.0% vs 13.8% females, p<0.01), hypertension (33.0% vs 27.4% females, p<0.01), drug abuse (3.4% vs 2% females, p<0.01), smoking (35.3% vs 22.9% females, p<0.01), previous myocardial infarction (2.1% vs 1.3% females, p=0.012), and chronic kidney disease (4.9% vs 1.9% females, p<0.01). Females had higher prevalence of asthma (9.1% vs 5.9% males, p<0.01), depression (16.4% vs 10.3% males, p<0.01), systemic lupus erythematosus (5.7% vs 2.6% males, p<0.01), multiple sclerosis (17.8% vs 13.1% males, p<0.01), prior stroke (3.3% vs 2.1% males, p<0.01), and obesity (16.4% vs 13.7% males, p<0.01). Charlson Comorbidity Index score was 1.40 in females and 1.14 in Males, (p<0.01).
Conclusions:
Our research showed statistically significant differences in comorbidities amongst males and females admitted with NMOSD. Understanding sex differences in NMOSD patients in association with specific comorbidities can help ascertain risk, severity, or prognosis, and serve as a basis for future research and treatment.