Medtronic’s DiVERT Stroke Study Evaluated Sex-based Disparities in Post-stroke Cardiac Care

February 6, 2025—Medtronic announced that new findings from the company-sponsored DiVERT Stroke clinical study showed women spent less time in the hospital, saw fewer referrals to cardiology, and were prescribed less frequent post-stroke cardiac monitoring than men when admitted to comprehensive stroke centers after a stroke.

The study data were presented by lead investigator David Z. Rose, MD, at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference 2025 held February 5-7 in Los Angeles, California. Dr. Rose is Professor of Vascular Neurology at the University of South Florida’s USF Morsani College of Medicine at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida.

According to Medtronic, the DiVERT Stroke study examined in-hospital care pathways for patients with cryptogenic, large-vessel atherosclerotic disease, and small vessel disease stroke subtypes. Post-stroke care pathways were assessed using in-person clinician interviews across cardiology and vascular neurology subspecialities, while patient data were collected using electronic medical records and the American Heart Association Get With the Guidelines registry from 2017 to 2019.

The company reported that baseline demographics and 6-month post-index stroke discharge data were collected at five comprehensive stroke centers in the United States. The statistical differences could represent sex disparities that impact preventive actions for secondary stroke and long-term outcomes.

The retrospective analysis from the phase-1 DiVERT Stroke study comprised 2,699 patients (female, 48%).

As summarized in Medtronic’s press release, the data showed the following:

• Females were less likely than male patients to receive cardiology referrals during index hospitalization (12.8% vs. 15.5%; P = .043)
• Females had shorter length of stay (6.8 vs. 7.7 days; P = .025)
• Females were less likely to receive post-stroke cardiac monitoring (19.9% vs. 23.0%; P = .048)

Additionally, the rate of atrial fibrillation detected post-stroke was higher for any type of cardiac monitoring versus nonmonitoring, irrespective of sex (for females, 7.4% vs 3.9%; P = .015; for males, 8.0% vs 3.5%; P < .001), and there were no sex differences for type of cardiac monitoring (external monitors vs insertable cardiac monitors).

“Women have a higher lifetime risk of stroke compared to men, and yet these findings suggest that when it comes to post-stroke care, women are seeing cardiology less often and getting less cardiac monitoring care than their male counterparts,” commented Dr. Rose in Medtronic’s press release. “Standardizing care pathways between neurology and cardiology is one way to help ensure more stroke patients receive guideline-informed cardiac monitoring after a stroke. Further research on this topic is needed and may include artificial intelligence solutions.”

Phase 2 of the DiVERT Stroke study will evaluate opportunities to improve workflow deficiencies, including referral pathways, to help minimize disparities of care, advised Medtronic.