Health-related quality of life in first-ever stroke patients

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is important to measure as it is an indication of outcome after stroke. Our objectives were to assess HRQOL in patients 3 months after stroke and to identify factors that predict HRQOL in stroke survivors.

This cross-sectional study included 67 first-ever stroke patients hospitalized in the Ministry of Health Ankara Diskapi Yildirim Beyazit Education and Research Hospital Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Clinic. HRQOL was measured by means of the Stroke Impact Scale-16 (SIS-16). Patients were characterized by age, sex, duration of education, comorbidities, stroke type, affected side, concordance (paretic arm=dominant hand), cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]), and functional status (Functional Independence Measure [FIM]). We used a linear regression model to examine the influence of demographic and clinical characteristics on the different SIS-16 domains.

The mean (SD) for age of the 67 patients was 62.03 (13.22) years (range, 33 to 81 years). The MMSE and FIM scores were significantly correlated with the SIS-16 score (P<.001). Linear regression analysis showed that age and functional status were the major independent determinants affecting HRQOL (P=.002 and P<.001, respectively).

In this study, we found that age and functional status had a powerful influence on HRQOL. Comprehensive therapy programs aimed to improve HRQOL should focus on improving functional disability, particularly in older stroke patients. There is a need for long-term follow-up studies in stroke patients throughout all recovery stages to evaluate HRQOL in more detail.