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Stroke in older adults: exploring the intersections of comorbidity, disability, and frailty
Terence J Quinn1, Nicholas Evans2, Patricia Fearon3
1School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Insights
Stroke predominantly affects older adults. Key factors like comorbidity, disability, and frailty significantly impact stroke care and outcomes, necessitating tailored approaches across the entire patient journey.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Neurology
- Public Health
Background:
- Stroke disproportionately affects older adults, making age-related complexities crucial for effective care.
- Understanding the interplay between aging, comorbidity, disability, and frailty is essential for optimizing stroke management.
- Current stroke care pathways may not adequately address the unique needs of older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the impact of comorbidity, disability, and frailty on stroke care in older adults.
- To provide guidance on assessing these age-related factors in stroke patients.
- To explore innovative approaches for improving stroke care across the continuum for older individuals.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on cerebrovascular disease epidemiology in aging populations.
- Analysis of the bidirectional relationship between aging factors and stroke.
- Examination of stroke care from prevention through post-acute phases.
Main Results:
- Comorbidity, disability, and frailty are common in older stroke patients and significantly affect care and outcomes.
- These age-related conditions require specific assessment and tailored interventions.
- Existing stroke care models often fail to integrate comprehensive assessments for these complexities.
Conclusions:
- Stroke care for older adults must systematically address comorbidity, disability, and frailty.
- Innovations are needed to enhance stroke care pathways for the aging population.
- Learning from broader geriatric care research can inform better stroke management strategies.
Abstract:
Although the epidemiology of cerebrovascular disease is changing, stroke remains predominantly a disease of older adults. Clinicians, researchers, and policy makers should, therefore, be familiar with the key contextual factors of older age and how these factors might affect stroke care. Arguably, the three overarching manifestations of complexity in ageing are: comorbidity, disability, and frailty. These conditions are all common in stroke and, alone or in combination, have important consequences for stroke care and outcomes. In a bidirectional relationship, each factor can also have modifying effects on stroke and the response to interventions. In this Review, we consider each of these factors in turn, providing a definition, guide to assessment, and implications for stroke care. We also describe the consequences of ageing across the entire stroke journey, from prevention through acute care to life after stroke. At each stage we offer examples of novel approaches or innovations in stroke care for older adults. Even though comorbidity, disability, and frailty are distinct, we observed common themes, namely that current stroke pathways do not adequately assess for these conditions and that the stroke community can learn from research in other aspects of older adult care.
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