Scientists from the University of Queensland found that almost two-thirds of acute stroke patients fail to survive more than a decade and have a high risk of recurrence, prompting researchers to call for better patient care.
The research is published in Stroke and was conducted by Dr. Yang Peng et al.
In the study, the team analyzed data from more than 300,000 patients admitted to hospital following a sudden stroke between 2008 and 2017 in Australia and New Zealand.
They also examined how many years were lost to stroke by comparing a patient’s predicted life expectancy with the length of actual survival.
The team found that only 36.4% of patients survived beyond 10 years, and 26.8% had another stroke.
They found that a stroke reduced a patient’s life expectancy by five and a half years on average, compared with the general population.
In proportional terms, this meant a stroke reduced a person’s life expectancy by one-third.
Patients with a hemorrhagic stroke who have bleeding in the brain are at greater risk of death, another stroke and reduced life expectancy than those with an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a burst blood vessel.
Acute stroke is one of the most common causes of hospitalization and disability in Australia and has been linked to risk factors such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels, diabetes, smoking and heart disease.
These findings reinforce the need for concerted efforts to improve acute stroke care.
The team says doctors need stroke networks of care to rapidly identify patients who have had a stroke, provide them with access to important and time-sensitive treatment, such as thrombolysis, a clot-busting medication, and endovascular therapy, a specialized procedure to remove blood clots in the vessels to the brain.
The team says there should also be a focus on lifestyle and risk factor modifications for secondary prevention, given the number of patients who will have a recurrent stroke.
If you care about stroke, please read studies about what are ideal blood sugar levels for preventing repeat strokes, heart attacks, and this healthy habit can lower risks of stroke and heart rhythm problems.
For more information about stroke, please see recent studies about therapy that could boost recovery from stroke and dementia, and results showing these 3 common prescribed drugs may increase stroke risk by 60%.
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