[Survived brain infarction in old age - clinical and morphological findings. II. Risk factors (author's transl)]

208 hospitalized patients, nearly 80 years old, were investigated because of risk factors and complicating diseases. Hypertension (58.2%), typical myocardial infarctions (37.2%) and diabetes (45.2%) were twice often as in our comparable cases without stroke. Corresponding we found signs of left ventricular hypertrophy in more than 50% post mortem. The dimensions of heart failure by hypertension are visible in ECG indicating LVH with many dysrhythmias. Early mortality (40%) as survival time are dependent on the size of the stroke. Cardiovascular causes of death were found mainly. The differences to younger patients with brain infarction seem to be only of gradually nature and especially to refer to the more intensive damaged heart.