title: Incidence and case fatality rates of first-ever stroke - comparison of data from two prospective population-based studies conducted in Warsaw.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  According to official statistics, the stroke mortality rate has remained high in Eastern European countries for a few decades. It has been shown that also in Poland stroke mortality failed to decline in the period 1984 to 1992. Since that time, stroke management in our country has changed, especially in the cities, where stroke units have been developed. The aim of the present study was to compare incidence and case fatality rates, estimated on the basis of two prospective population-based studies performed in Warsaw in 1991/1992 and 2005.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence rates and case fatality rates for the first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke have been estimated on the basis of two population-based studies: the Warsaw Stroke Registry (population 182 649) conducted in 1991 and 1992, and the European Register of Stroke (population 120 186) - registration in 2005. In both studies data were standardized to the European population by the direct methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Contrary to the incidence rates, which did not change significantly between 1991/1992 and 2005, 30-day and 1-year case fatality rates decreased significantly from 43% to 14.9% and from 59.7% to 33.1%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Comparison of data from two population-based prospective stroke registries showed that stroke case fatality and mortality significantly decreased. This may be associated with the better management of patients in the acute phase of stroke and implementation of secondary prevention strategies for stroke.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Neurologiczna, Instytut Psychiatrii i Neurologii, Al. Sobieskiego 9, Warszawa. haljar@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Halina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sienkiewicz-Jarosz
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Głuszkiewicz
authors.forename: Jarosław
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pniewski
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niewada
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Członkowska
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Danuta
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ryglewicz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality*; D016019:Survival Analysis