Death and disability from stroke down in United Kingdom

(HealthDay)—The risk for death and disability after a stroke fell significantly between 2000 and 2015 in the United Kingdom, according to a study recently published in PLOS Medicine.

Hatem A. Wafa, from King’s College London, and colleagues estimated time trends in mortality and functional dependence by ischemic stroke subtype during a 16-year period (between 2000 and 2015) using data from the South London Stroke Register. The analysis included 3,128 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke.

The researchers found that between 2000 to 2003 and 2012 to 2015, the adjusted overall mortality decreased by 24 percent (hazard ratio [HR] per year, 0.976). Both men and women saw mortality reductions, as did white and black populations. However, these mortality reductions were only significant in cardio-embolism strokes (HR per year, 0.972) and in patients aged ≥55 years (HR per year, 0.975). Within 30 days and one year after an ischemic stroke, case-fatality rates declined by 38 percent (rate ratio [RR] per year, 0.962) and 37 percent (RR per year, 0.963), respectively. There was an independent association noted between recent ischemic stroke and a 23 percent reduced risk for functional dependence at three months after onset (RR per year, 0.983).

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