Survival following stroke. A prospective population-based study of 438 hospitalized cases with prediction according to subtype, severity and age

In a prospective population-based study analyses were performed to estimate the survival prognosis following stroke, in relation to age of the patient as well as to subtype, severity and occurrence of the stroke diagnosis. The statistical technique of stepwise regression analysis was used to discriminate the isolated importance of these factors on survival outcome. A total of 438 patients, consecutively admitted to the Department of Neurology during the period Feb. 1st 1986-September 30th 1987 were followed 15 days, 3, 6, and 12 months after the acute stroke. The one-year survival rate was 75% compared with 93% for a control group matched for age, sex, residence and calendar year. Mortality after stroke occurred predominantly within the first 3 months, after 3 months survival prognosis was no different from that of the general population. Statistical analysis identified 2 factors that gave significant isolated prediction on survival outcome. These factors were in order of importance age and severity of stroke diagnosis, whereas sex, subtype and occurrence of stroke were of no discriminative value.