title: Age and gender variations in the management of ischaemic stroke in China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stroke is a major health issue in China.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to describe the management of patients admitted to hospitals in China with acute ischaemic stroke, and to determine whether there were any differences by age and gender.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a multicentre prospective hospital register across all eight major economic (geographic) regions in China, data on the socioeconomic characteristics, medical history, clinical features, and in-hospital investigations, management, and outcomes were collected on consecutive patients with acute stroke due to cerebral ischaemia during a 5-month period in 2006.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, traditional Chinese medicine and neuroprotectant use were remarkably high, with nearly 80% of patients receiving the former and >70% receiving the latter in hospital. Length of hospital stay was also long (median duration 16-days). Multivariate analyses revealed no clinically important differences in management between the genders. For the age-specific analyses, there were significant trends of decreasing use of thrombolysis (P=0·04), warfarin (P=0·01), corticosteroids (P=0·03), and lipid-lowering therapy (P=0·001); however, more assisted feeding (P=0·004) and rising rates of disability and in-hospital complications occurred with increasing age.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  New information is provided regarding the current state of ischaemic stroke management in China. Notably, there is high use of traditional Chinese medicine and neuroprotectants and long lengths of hospital stay. Similar to many other countries, differences in stroke care and management by age and gender also exist to a small extent in China.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Yining
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Ji-Guang
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jade W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Alexander P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Headley
authors.forename: Lawrence K S
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Emma L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Heeley
authors.forename: Hisatomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arima
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhengyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Li'e
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Qifang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Shihong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: En
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Qidong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Chuanzhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Craig S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Anderson
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008875:Middle Aged; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents