title: Long-term outcomes of acute ischemic stroke in patients aged 80 years and older.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hangang Sacred Heart Hospital, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yang-Ki
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Minn
authors.forename: Soo-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Seon-Gyeong
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Han
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: Jin-Hyuck
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Mi-Sun
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Min-Kyung
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Ju-Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sung Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Byung-Chul
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: 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