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Nineteen-year trends in risk factors, clinical characteristics and prognosis in lacunar infarcts

Adrià Arboix1, Joan Massons, Luís García-Eroles

  • 1Cerebrovascular Division, Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari del Sagrat Cor, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. aarboix@hscor.com

Neuroepidemiology
|September 24, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Over a 19-year period, stroke patients became older and more frequently had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, while hypertension decreased. Brain MRI use rose, and hospital stays shortened for lacunar infarcts.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epidemiology
  • Geriatrics

Background:

  • Assessed cardiovascular risk factors, clinical features, and early outcomes of first-ever cerebral lacunar infarcts.
  • Compared lacunar infarct data with nonlacunar infarction cases from a hospital stroke registry (1986-2004).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze secular trends in patient characteristics and early outcomes for lacunar infarcts over a 19-year period.
  • To compare these trends with nonlacunar infarction cases.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 566 lacunar infarct patients and 1,516 nonlacunar infarct patients.
  • Stratified analysis across three time periods: 1986-1992, 1993-1998, and 1999-2004.

Main Results:

  • Patient age and the proportion of very old individuals (≥85 years) significantly increased over time.
  • Hypertension prevalence decreased, while chronic obstructive pulmonary disease prevalence increased.
  • Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) utilization rose significantly, and median hospital stay decreased.

Conclusions:

  • Significant demographic and clinical shifts observed in lacunar infarct patients over 19 years.
  • Increasing age and MRI use contrast with decreasing hypertension rates and hospital stay duration.
  • These findings highlight evolving patient profiles and management trends in stroke care.
Abstract

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