Abstract P282: First-ever Ischemic Stroke in the Very Elderly: Trends, Characteristics and Outcome in a National Registry

Abstract

Background: The incidence of ischemic stroke significantly increases with age. With increasing life expectancy, very old subjects will constitute the majority of stroke patients. However, epidemiological and clinical features of very elderly patients with stroke are still uncertain. Our aim was to study the patients' characteristics, outcome and trends in the very elderly (aged ≥ 85 years) in comparison with patients aged 65–84 years with a first-ever ischemic stroke in the National Acute Stroke Israeli Survey (NASIS) registry. Methods: The NASIS registry is a nationwide prospective hospital-based study performed triennially (2004, 2007, 2010). Patients with ischemic stroke aged ≥85 years were compared with those 65–84 years old regarding their baseline characteristics, stroke severity, etiology of stroke and stroke outcomes. Stroke severity was determined according to the National Institute of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score and functional disability using the modified Rankin scale (mRS). Logistic regression analyses were used in the comparison of outcomes adjusting for potential confounders. Trends in patients' characteristics and stroke outcome were studied. Results: A first-ever ischemic stroke was diagnosed in 3125 patients. The proportion of very elderly (≥85 years) patients among the NASIS population increased from 18.3% in 2004 to 19.9% in 2007 and 24.5% in 2010 (p=0.005). The percentage of women was higher in patients aged ≥85 years (p<0.0001). Atrial fibrillation, congestive heart disease and prior disability were significantly more prevalent in the very elderly. The very elderly presented with more severe strokes: 36.3% of the ≥85 years-old patients had NIHSS≥11 compared with 22.0% in the younger age group. Adjusted rates of in-hospital complications [OR (95% CI=1.7 (1.3–2.2)] and severe disability or death (mRS>3) [1.4 (1.0–1.9)] were increased for very elderly patients. In the analysis of trends by registry period, rates of dyslipidemia increased from 25.4% in 2004 to 63.7% in 2010 (p for trend<0.0001) and hypertension increased from 74.8% in 2004 to 90.5% in 2010 (p for trend=0.0004). A significant decrease in the rate of in-hospital mortality among the very old patients is evident: rates decreased from 18.7% in 2004 to 5.7% in 2010 (p for trend=0.0005). Conclusions: There is an increasing proportion of very elderly subjects, mostly women, among first-ever ischemic stroke patients. Current information on age specific aspects of stroke in the very elderly is crucial to set up successful prevention pathways and implementing well-organized stroke care for this population.