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Updated: Jun 25, 2026
06:01
A Thrombotic Stroke Model Based On Transient Cerebral Hypoxia-ischemia
Published on: August 18, 2015
Future demographic trends decrease the proportion of ischemic stroke patients receiving thrombolytic therapy: a call
Christian Foerch1, Matthias Sitzer, Helmuth Steinmetz
1Department of Neurology, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. foerch@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Stroke
|February 28, 2009
Summary
Future demographic shifts will increase ischemic stroke cases, but decrease tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) treatment rates, particularly in older adults. New therapeutic studies are needed for elderly stroke patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Thrombolytic therapy with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is underutilized in elderly ischemic stroke patients (≥80 years).
- Demographic trends indicate a growing proportion of older individuals among stroke patients.
- This shift may lead to a decline in the overall tPA treatment rate for ischemic stroke.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the future number of ischemic stroke patients.
- To project the future fraction of ischemic stroke patients receiving tPA.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a 2005 registry of 12,906 hospitalized ischemic stroke patients in Hesse, Germany.
- Calculated age- and gender-specific incidence rates for stroke and tPA therapy.
- Incorporated population projections from the Hessian Bureau of Statistics until 2050.
Main Results:
- Ischemic stroke patient numbers are projected to increase by ~68% by 2050.
- The proportion of tPA-treated ischemic stroke patients is expected to decrease from 4.5% to 3.8% (a 16% relative decrease).
- These changes assume constant age- and gender-specific incidence and treatment strategies.
Conclusions:
- Future demographic changes are predicted to lower tPA treatment rates in ischemic stroke.
- There is a critical need for therapeutic studies focusing on very old stroke patients.
- Such research is essential to potentially reverse the declining tPA treatment trend in this demographic.
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