Stroke in the Elderly Aged 75 Years and Above

The medical records of 797 (553 M; 244 F) consecutive Saudi patients with stroke admitted in two hospitals during a period of 11 years were reviewed. Out of these, 162 patients (119 M; 43 F) or 20.3% were aged > 75 years. Ischemic strokes were relatively more frequent (74.1 %) in the elderly age group compared to younger patients (67.8%) (OR = 1.35), but this was statistically nonsignificant after excluding the cases with undetermined type stroke. Hypertension (47%) and diabetes mellitus (36%) were common risk factors in both age groups. However, atrial fibrillation and previous transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) and strokes were significantly more common in the older age group. Previous TIAs or strokes (39%) were mainly found in those patients with cerebral infarction of all sizes. The overall 30-day mortality rate in elderly patients was 20.4%, more than 2-fold the death rate found in the patients <75 years of age (9%). In comparison to younger patients, the death rate was 1.6-fold higher in the elderly with ischemic stroke but was 7-fold higher in those with cerebral hemorrhage.