Predictors of Survival Among Elders Suffering Strokes in Taiwan
- 1 October 2000
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health) in Stroke
- Vol. 31 (10), 2354-2360
- https://doi.org/10.1161/01.str.31.10.2354
Abstract
Background and Purpose —Cerebrovascular disease was the leading cause of death in Taiwan from 1963 to 1982. Deaths due to stroke now rank second only to cancer, with more deaths resulting from strokes than from any other single pathology. It is important to understand stroke prognosis among elderly stroke survivors, with respect to survival and attendant predictive factors, because aged population in Taiwan is growing rapidly. The aim of the present study was to discern factors affecting survival in stroke patients from a nationally representative elderly sample. Methods —A total of 99 stroke survivors, from a representative national sample of elders aged ≥65 years on December 31, 1988, whose strokes occurred in the period 1989–1993, were followed for mortality until July 1, 1995. Personal data were gathered through home interviews conducted by well-trained community nurses, and mortality data were obtained from the national census office by using identification card numbers. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and the stepwise technique were used to search for important prognostic factors of survival. Results —Women experienced a higher mortality rate (139.8 per 1000 person-years) than men (126.4 per 1000 person-years), as age-adjusted for World Health Organization world-population figures. Stroke patients who received continuous treatment for diabetes experienced mortality risks similar to those of patients without diabetes and much lower risks than those with discontinuous diabetes treatment. Cognitive impairment was also an independent predictor of survival (relative risk 2.69, P Conclusions —This first report on the various prognostic factors related to survival of elderly stroke patients in Taiwan’s Chinese population emphasized the benefit of continuous diabetes treatment in improving survival chances. These stroke patients should also be monitored for cognitive and mobility impairments and undergo rehabilitation.This publication has 7 references indexed in Scilit:
- Risk Factors for 5-Year Mortality in Older AdultsThe Cardiovascular Health StudyJAMA, 1998
- Prestroke physical function predicts stroke outcomes in the elderlyArchives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 1996
- Epidemiology of strokeThe Lancet, 1992
- Prognostic Factors in the Survival of 1,484 Stroke Cases Observed for 30 to 48 MonthsArchives of Neurology, 1978
- The CES-D ScaleApplied Psychological Measurement, 1977
- A Short Portable Mental Status Questionnaire for the Assessment of Organic Brain Deficit in Elderly Patients†Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 1975
- The use of the nitrogen mustards in the palliative treatment of carcinoma.With particular reference to bronchogenic carcinomaCancer, 1948