title: Stroke, Physical Function, and Death Over a 15-Year Period in Older Australian Women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  As populations age, an increasing number of older women are living with stroke. This study looks at long-term outcomes for women with stroke, comparing mortality rates for women with poor physical function (PF) and those with higher levels of function. The purpose is to understand not only how long women might live after a stroke, but also how long they live with physical disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study uses 15 years of data on women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health 1921 to 1926 cohort. The risk of stroke and the risk of stroke and poor PF were estimated using Cox proportional hazard model. Among women who reported a stroke during the study period, mortality risk was compared according to their physical functioning level after that stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost half of the women who had a stroke and poor PF survived past 10 years. The 10-year mortality rate was 37% for women with stroke and adequate PF and 51% for women with stroke and poor PF at the time of the stroke (hazard rate ratio, 1.52; 95% CI, 1.18-1.95; P=0.0015 adjusting for demographic and health covariates).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides evidence of the long-term outcomes of stroke among older women, with women living for many years with poor PF. This outcome has important implications for the women's quality of life during their later years and in understanding the burden of disability associated with stroke.
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health & Medicine, University of Newcastle, Australia (I.J.H., J.E.B.); The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia (K.V.); and Research Centre for Gender, Health & Ageing, University of Newcastle, Australia (K.V., P.M.F., J.E.B.). Isobel.Hubbard@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Isobel J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Hubbard
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health & Medicine, University of Newcastle, Australia (I.J.H., J.E.B.); The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia (K.V.); and Research Centre for Gender, Health & Ageing, University of Newcastle, Australia (K.V., P.M.F., J.E.B.).
authors.forename: Kha
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vo
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health & Medicine, University of Newcastle, Australia (I.J.H., J.E.B.); The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia (K.V.); and Research Centre for Gender, Health & Ageing, University of Newcastle, Australia (K.V., P.M.F., J.E.B.).
authors.forename: Peta M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Forder
authors.affiliation: From the School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health & Medicine, University of Newcastle, Australia (I.J.H., J.E.B.); The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia (K.V.); and Research Centre for Gender, Health & Ageing, University of Newcastle, Australia (K.V., P.M.F., J.E.B.).
authors.forename: Julie E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Byles
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012306:Risk; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D016387:Women's Health
keywords: mortality; older women; poor physical function; risk; stroke