Long-term outcomes of acute ischemic stroke in patients aged 80 years and older.
OBJECTIVE
Short life expectancy influences decision-making when treating very old patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). We investigated mortality and survival duration in very old AIS patients (>or= 80 years) who received hospital care.


METHODS
Mortality data were obtained from medical records, structured telephone inquiries, death certificates from the Korean National Statistical Office, and social security data 5+/-1.9 years after stroke onset. Age, gender, vascular risk factors, and functional outcomes from modified Rankin scales (MRS) at discharge were analyzed as predictors of mortality.


RESULTS
Among 134 patients, 92 (68.7%) died. On Kaplan-Meier analysis, duration of survival of patients aged 80-84 years was longer than those aged 85-89 or 90-94 (24+/-6.4, 8+/-7.3, 7+/-2.0 months, respectively, p=0.002). Duration of survival of patients discharged in a state of MRS 0-1 was longer than the remaining groups at 47+/-4.8 months (p<0.001). In Cox proportional hazard analysis, age and MRS at discharge were independent predictors of mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Long-term outcomes of very old patients with AIS are not uniformly grave, therefore predictors of mortality and estimated duration of survival should be considered during decision-making for treatment.
Minn
Yang-Ki
YK
Department of Neurology, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea.
Cho
Soo-Jin
SJ
Kim
Seon-Gyeong
SG
Kwon
Ki-Han
KH
Kim
Jin-Hyuck
JH
Oh
Mi-Sun
MS
Chu
Min-Kyung
MK
Lee
Ju-Hun
JH
Hwang
Sung Hee
SH
Lee
Byung-Chul
BC
D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors