Age and gender variations in the management of ischaemic stroke in China.
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.
Huang
Yining
Y
Department of Neurology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China.
Wang
Ji-Guang
JG
Wei
Jade W
JW
Headley
Alexander P
AP
Wong
Lawrence K S
LK
Heeley
Emma L
EL
Arima
Hisatomi
H
Sun
Jian
J
Li
Qiang
Q
Liu
Ming
M
Li
Zhengyi
Z
Wu
Li'e
L
Cheng
Yan
Y
Huang
Qifang
Q
Zhang
Shihong
S
Xu
En
E
Yang
Qidong
Q
Lu
Chuanzhen
C
Anderson
Craig S
CS
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*
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents