Quality of Life after Lacunar Stroke: The Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes Study

Background: We sought to describe the course and predictors of quality of life (QOL) after lacunar stroke. We hypothesized that there is a decline in QOL after recovery from lacunar stroke.Methods: The Secondary Prevention of Small Subcortical Strokes is a clinical trial in lacunar stroke patients with annual assessments of QOL with the stroke-specific QOL score. The overall score was used and analyzed as a continuous variable (range 0-5). We fit linear mixed models to assess the trend in QOL over time, assuming linearity of time, and adjusted for demographics, medical risk factors, cognitive factors, and functional status in univariable and multivariable models.Results: Among 2870 participants, mean age was 63.4 years (SD 10.7), 63% were men, 51% White, 32% Hispanic, 36% had college education, 36% had diabetes, 89% had hypertension, and 10% had prior stroke. Mean poststroke Barthel Index (BI) score was 95.4 (assessed on average 6 months after stroke). In the final multivariable model, there was an average increase in QOL of .6% per year, and factors associated with decline in QOL over time included age (−.0003 per year, P 
Source: Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research