[Estimation of the prevalence, incidence, comorbidities and direct costs associated to stroke patients requiring care in an area of the Spanish population].
OBJECTIVE
To determinate the prevalence, incidence, co-morbidities and therapeutic objectives and costs of stroke among Spanish population.


METHODS
A retrospective study was performed based on data from patients attended for stroke, aged > 30 years, from five Spanish primary care centres and two hospitals in 2006. Comparative group: patients without stroke. Main analysed variables were: age, sex, co-morbidity (cardiovascular/others), clinical parameters and direct costs (pharmacy, derivations, visits, emergencies, procurement, and hospitalisation). An ANCOVA analysis and logistic regression were used to fit the model.


RESULTS
A 4.5% of 57.026 patients (n = 2.585; CI 95% = 4.3-4.7%) suffered stroke. The incidence of stroke was 220 new-cases/100.000 populations. Main differences between patients suffering stroke/control group were: age (72.5 vs. 53.5), men (58.2% vs. 44.6%), episodes/year (7,9 vs. 4,8), visits/year (15,8 vs. 8,1), p < 0,001. Stroke had an independent relation with age (OR = 1,4), male (OR = 2,3), diabetes (OR = 1,6), hypertension (OR = 1,5), smoking (OR = 1,5), alcohol (OR = 1,4), depression (OR = 1,4), dyslipidemia (OR = 1,3) and dementia (OR = 1,2). Some of the results were: systolic pressure (134.1 vs. 127.6 mmHg) and LDL-cholesterol (116.4 vs. 126.2 mg/dL), in presence/absence of stroke, p < 0,001. The average of annual costs of stroke was 2,590.36 vs. 985.26 euros, p < 0.001. After the correction of the logistic model results did not change: 1,774.33 (CI 95% = 1,720.10-1.828.55) vs. 1,021.98 euros (CI 95% = 1,010.92-1,033.03), p < 0,001. All components of costs were higher in the stroke group.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients that demanded assistance for stroke had a higher number of co-morbidities and a higher total cost/patient/year. Therapeutic objectives could be improved, mainly in primary prevention of cardiovascular risk factors.
Fernández de Bobadilla
J
J
Badalona Serveis Assistencials, 08911 Badalona, Espana.
Sicras-Mainar
A
A
Navarro-Artieda
R
R
Planas-Comes
A
A
Soto-Alvarez
J
J
Sánchez-Maestre
C
C
Alvarez-Martín
C
C
Ezpeleta-Echevarri
D
D
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications / Q000191:economics* / Q000453:epidemiology*