We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS), a publicly available dataset that samples 20% of hospital discharges. The study population includes women between the ages of 20 and 44 without a maternal admission code. Weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the odds of stroke in women with history of MBS compared to other women of reproductive age. Adjustment of odds was done for the following covariates: age, race, primary payer, severity of illness, depression, and obesity. Among women of reproductive age with a history of MBS, there were lower odds of having a stroke and stroke risk factors when compared to women who did not have MBS. Additionally, this study showed a modest decrease in the odds of stroke among women with obesity when adjusted for other risk factors. Future research should focus on examining this finding further, with a focus on the moderation of the impact of having obesity on stroke risk independent of other stroke risk factors. Previous research has focused on the impact of MBS on several health outcomes, but there is little research focused on the impact of MBS on stroke risk overall; many of the studies that focus on stroke are concerned with the impact of MBS on obstructive sleep apnea and/or atrial fibrillation as precursors to stroke, which was beyond the scope of the current study. The results of the current study are consistent with research on the impact that MBS has on diabetes, hypertension.

With Regards,
Sara Giselle
Associate Managing Editor
 Journal of Stroke Research & Therapy