Stroke hospitalization rates decrease with age

Towfighi A. Stroke. 2011;doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.618454.

Ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke hospitalization rates have declined in patients aged 55 to 64 years and remained stable in patients aged 45 to 54 years, according to a study.

Researchers used data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 1997 to 2006 to identify patients who were discharged with a primary or secondary diagnosis of stroke. The primary and secondary diagnoses and procedures, discharge vital status, and demographics of patients were assessed with age-adjusted and sex-specific rates of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke hospitalizations in patients aged 35 to 64 years, according to the study.

When looking at stroke subtypes, researchers reported higher ischemic stroke hospitalization rates in men vs. women aged 45 to 64 years, and higher rates of hemorrhagic stroke hospitalization rates in women 55 to 64 years. Rates for ischemic stroke increased in both men (P=.001) and women (P<.001) during the course of the study, whereas no sex differences in hemorrhagic rates in patients aged 35 to 54 years were reported. Overall, stroke hospitalization rates did not differ in men and women aged 35 to 44 years (P=.47) and 45 to 54 years (P=.46). Researchers found that improvement in stroke hospitalization rates per year was more pronounced in men than in women aged 55 to 64 years (P=.008).

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