title: Three-month stroke outcome: the European Registers of Stroke (EROS) investigators.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Contemporaneous data on variations in outcome after first-ever-lifetime stroke between European populations are lacking. We compared differences in case fatality rates, functional outcome, and living conditions 3 months after stroke within the European Registers of Stroke Collaboration.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based stroke registers were established in France (Dijon), Italy (Sesto Fiorentino), Lithuania (Kaunas), the United Kingdom (London), Spain (Menorca), and Poland (Warsaw). All patients with first-ever-lifetime stroke of all age groups from the source population (1,087,048 inhabitants) were included. Data collection took part between 2004 and 2006. The study investigated population variations in outcome at 3 months (death, institutionalization due to stroke, or Barthel Index below 12 points) using multivariable logistic regression analyses adjusted for age, sex, stroke severity, stroke subtype, and comorbidities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2,034 patients with first-ever-lifetime stroke were included. Median age was 73 years, 52% were female. The mean weighted cumulative risk of death was 21.8% (95% confidence interval 20.0 to 23.6) with a 3-fold variation across populations. The weighted proportion of poor outcome was 41.3% (95% confidence interval 39.0 to 43.7) with a 2-fold variation across populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More than 40% of patients had a poor outcome, defined as being dead, dependent, or institutionalized 3 months after stroke. Substantial outcome variations were found between populations that were explained by case mix variables in this analysis, yet a trend toward a higher risk of poor outcome was present in Kaunas.
authors.affiliation: Center for Stroke Research Berlin (CSB), Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: P U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Heuschmann
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiedmann
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Wellwood
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rudd
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Carlo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bejot
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryglewicz
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rastenyte
authors.forename: C D A
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005602:France / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008097:Lithuania / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology