Real-World Populational-Based Quality of Life and Functional Status After Stroke

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Stroke significantly impacts patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL).
• Understanding long-term HRQoL trajectories and associated factors is crucial for patient care and rehabilitation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe HRQoL at 3 months and 1 year post-stroke.
• To compare HRQoL between dependent (mRS 3-5) and independent (mRS 0-2) stroke survivors.
• To identify predictors of poor HRQoL one year after stroke.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of first ischemic stroke or intraparenchymal hemorrhage patients from the Joinville Stroke Registry.
• HRQoL assessed using the EuroQol-5D questionnaire at 3 months and 1 year post-stroke.
• Stratification by modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (0-2 vs. 3-5) and univariate/multivariate analyses for predictors.

Main Results:

• Mean HRQoL improved from 0.670 at 3 months to 0.71 at 1 year (n=705).
• Improvement observed in both independent (mRS 0-2) and dependent (mRS 3-5) groups.
• Increasing age, female sex, hypertension, diabetes, and higher mRS scores were associated with poorer 1-year HRQoL.

Conclusions:

• HRQoL generally improves one year after stroke in a Brazilian population.
• The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) is strongly associated with post-stroke HRQoL.
• While age, sex, diabetes, and hypertension correlate with HRQoL, their influence is mediated by the mRS score.