Predictors of short- and long-term mortality in first-ever ischaemic older stroke patients

Predictors of short- and long-term all-cause mortality of older stroke patients were explored.

Cox regression models were used to estimate the relative risk and 95% confidence intervals (CI) in the database entries of 636 older stroke patients aged 70 years and over.

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score on admission, age and coronary heart disease were significantly associated with 28-day death. The hazard ratios for the predictors of long-term mortality were as follows: NIHSS score, 1.1 (95% CI: 1.07-1.1); serum glucose level, 1.08 (95% CI: 1.01-1.2); serum triglyceride level, 0.6 (95% CI: 0.4-0.8); age, 1.04 (95% CI: 1.01-1.08); and coronary heart disease, 2.7 (95% CI: 1.4-5.4).

NIHSS score on admission, age and coronary heart disease are independent predictors of short- and long-term mortality. Higher glucose and lower triglyceride level are significantly associated with the long-term mortality.