title: Early case-fatality rates in elderly stroke patients do not increase when age increases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We studied the association between age and survival after stroke. We particularly focused on deaths that could be attributed to the stroke lesion itself; that is, early death in severe stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  A registry of all hospitalized stroke patients in Denmark included 93897 patients with information on stroke severity (Scandinavian Stroke Scale [SSS] 0-58), computed tomography, cardiovascular risk, age, sex and fatality within 1 month. Using regression models, we constructed age trajectories of 3-days, 1-week, and 1-month case-fatality rates unadjusted and adjusted for stroke severity, sex, and cardiovascular risk factors for patients with SSS <25 and SSS ≥ 25.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-days, 1-week, and 1-month case-fatality were 3.6%, 5.8% and 10.3%, respectively. Age-trajectories (SSS <25): 3-days case-fatality rates increased to the age of 75 years. Case-fatality rates then declined (unadjusted model) or leveled off (adjusted model) as age increased. One-week case-fatality increased to the age of 85 years. Case-fatality then leveled off (unadjusted model) or continued to rise (adjusted model) as age increased. One-month case-fatality rates increased throughout the entire lifespan. Age-trajectories (SSS ≥ 25): the leveling off phenomenon was still present for 3-days case-fatality; however, it was less pronounced.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Very early stroke case-fatality rates increasing to the age of 75-85 years subsequently leveled off or even declined with increasing age. Advanced age per se should not be seen as a disadvantage in terms of surviving stroke in the very acute phase.
authors.affiliation: Danish Cancer Society Research Center, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dehlendorff
authors.forename: Klaus Kaae
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.forename: Tom Skyhøj
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Olsen
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
keywords: age; case-fatality; cerebrovascular disease; stroke; survival