Self-rated health over the first five years after stroke.

BACKGROUND: Self-rated health (SRH) focuses on the patient's own perception, and represents an important patient-reported outcome. The aim was to investigate SRH one to 5 years after stroke, follow the development over time and search for factors associated with SRH. METHODS: Consecutive stroke patients admitted to Stroke Units at the Skaraborg Hospital, Sweden were included 2007-2009 (n = 2190). Patient-reported outcomes were collected annually over 5 years using a postal questionnaire. SRH was assessed by the question about general health from SF-36. Factors associated with SRH were investigated by multiple logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Response-rate was > 90% at all time points. Overall, 40.2, 41.9, 40.7, 45.0 and 46.3% of the patients reported good SRH, 1 to 5 years after stroke. Performance in activities of daily living (ADL) was strongly associated with good SRH; 49.8 and 14.7% after 1 year in independent and dependent survivors respectively, p < 0.001. In independent survivors 1 year after stroke, good SRH was positively associated with female sex (OR = 2.0; p = < 0,001), physical activity (OR = 2.14; p = < 0,001), car driving (OR = 2.25; p = < 0,001), and negatively associated with age (OR = 0.99; p = < 0,001), pain (OR = 0.49; p = < 0,001), depression (OR = 0.30; p = < 0,001), and self-perceived unmet care needs (OR = 0.39; p = < 0,001). In dependent survivors, depression (OR = 0.23; p = < 0,001) and age (OR = 0.96; p = < 0,05), were negatively associated with good SRH 1 year after stroke. Similar patterns were observed throughout the follow-up. CONCLUSION: The proportion stroke survivors reporting their health as good is slightly increasing over time. After stroke, SRH is associated with pain, depression, ability to perform activities and self-perceived unmet care needs, indicating that efforts to support stroke survivors in the chronic phase after stroke should concentrate on targeting these factors.

Changes in functional outcome over five years after stroke.

OBJECTIVES: Data on the long-term time course of poststroke functional outcome is limited. We investigated changes in functional outcome over 5 years after stroke in a hospital based cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients who were independent in activities of daily living (ADL) and admitted to a Stroke Unit at Skaraborg Hospital, Sweden for a first acute stroke from 2007 to 2009 (n = 1,421) were followed-up after 3 months and thereafter annually over 5 years using a postal questionnaire. Clinical variables at acute stroke and 3 months post stroke were obtained from the Swedish Stroke Register. ADL dependency was defined as dependence in dressing, toileting or indoor mobility. RESULTS: The proportions of survivors who reported ADL dependency remained stable throughout follow-up (19%-22%). However, among survivors who were ADL independent at 3 months, about 3% deteriorated to dependency each year. Deterioration was predicted by age (HR 1.11; 95% CI 1.08-1.13), diabetes (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.12-2.44), NIHSS score (HR 1.07; 95% CI 1.04-1.10), and self-perceived unmet care needs one year post stroke (HR 2.01; 95% CI 1.44-2.81). Transitions from ADL dependency to independence occurred mainly during the first year post stroke. Improvement was negatively predicted by living alone before stroke (HR 0.41 95% CI 0.19-0.91), NIHSS score (HR 0.90; 95% CI 0.86-0.95) and ischemic stroke (vs. hemorrhagic stroke), HR 0.39; 95% CI 0.17-0.89. CONCLUSION: Transitions between ADL independence and dependency occur up to 5 years after stroke. Some of the factors predicting these transitions are potentially modifiable.

Open, randomized pilot study after first stroke: a 3.5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although care in stroke units has improved outcome in stroke patients, it is less clear whether specialized outpatient care after stroke can further improve the prognosis. We therefore conducted a pilot study comparing specialized long-term care with usual care after a first stroke. METHODS: During a 2-year period, 549 patients were discharged alive from our stroke unit. Eighty-one patients were randomized to follow-up care at the stroke outpatient clinic (intervention group), and 82 patients were randomized to follow-up care with their general practitioner (control group). RESULTS: No differences in baseline variables were noted between the 2 groups. At the 12-month visit, there were no significant differences between the groups with respect to handicap, depression, and perceived health. During 3.5 years of follow-up, no differences in mortality, stroke recurrence rate, and unplanned hospitalizations were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this small pilot study, specialized follow-up service for stroke patients was not superior to "usual care."