Estudio sobre la calidad de vida en pacientes con accidente vascular cerebral isquémico / Study on the quality of life in patients with ischaemic stroke

Estudiar la calidad de vida (CV) y el estado neurológico funcional de pacientes a los tres años de sufrirun primer accidente vascular cerebral (AVC) isquémico. Pacientes y métodos. Se escogieron pacientes que cursaron con AVC isquémico, clasificados en las categorías I 63 a I 69. La CV y el estado neurológico funcional se midieron mediante la escalade Rankin modificada (mRS) y el cuestionario de salud SF-36, respectivamente. Resultados. De 59 pacientes encuestados (media de edad: 62 años; sexo: 51% mujeres), cerca de la mitad (29 pacientes; 49,1%) presentaron algún grado de discapacidad (mRS igual o superior a 2). Treinta pacientes (50,9%) eran independientes o presentaban secuelas mínimas (mRS igual o superiora 1) al final del período de seguimiento. La CV medida con el cuestionario SF-36 disminuyó progresivamente con el aumento de la puntuación en la mRS, especialmente en el grupo con mRS igual o superior a 3. Si bien el grupo etario más joven (rango: 20-36 años) obtuvo el mejor promedio (84 puntos) en el SF-36, no se encontró una diferencia significativa con los restantesgrupos de edad, aunque el grupo de 75 años o más fue el que obtuvo una puntuación media más baja (63 puntos). LosAVC extensos (infartos totales de la circulación anterior) de origen cardioembólico (fibrilación auricular) presentaron los más bajos índices de CV (p < 0,05). Conclusión. En la población analizada, la CV varió inversamente con el incremento de la edady la gravedad del déficit funcional de pacientes que sobrevivieron a un infarto cerebral, especialmente en el subgrupo de origen cardioembólico, debido a su asociación con infartos cerebrales más extensos

To study the quality of life (QoL) and functional neurological status of patients three years after suffering their first ischaemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA). Patients and methods. For the study we chose patients who presented ischaemic CVA, classified in categories I 63 to I 69. QoL and functional neurological status were measured using the modifiedRankin Scale (mRS) and the SF-36 health questionnaire, respectively. Results. Of a total of 59 patients who answered the surveys (mean age: 62 years; sex: 51% females), nearly half of them (29 patients; 49.1%) presented some kind of disability(mRS = 2). Thirty patients (50.9%) were independent or presented minimum sequelae (mRS = 1) at the end of the follow-up period. The mean QoL with the SF-36 questionnaire progressively diminished as the mRS score increased, especially in the group with mRS = 3. Although the youngest age group (range: 20-36 years) got the best average score (84 points) on the SF-36,no significant differences were found with the remaining age groups; the group made up of 75-year-olds and above was the one that obtained the lowest average score (63 points). Extensive strokes (total anterior circulation infarctions) of a cardioembolic origin (atrial fibrillation) had the lowest QoL indexes (p < 0.05). Conclusions. In the population that wasanalysed, the QoL was inversely proportional to the age and the severity of the functional deficit of patients who survived a completed stroke, especially in the cardioembolic-origin subgroup, due to its being associated with more extensive cerebral infarcts

[Study on the quality of life in patients with ischaemic stroke]. / Estudio sobre la calidad de vida en pacientes con accidente vascular cerebral isquémico.

AIM: To study the quality of life (QoL) and functional neurological status of patients three years after suffering their first ischaemic cerebrovascular accident (CVA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: For the study we chose patients who presented ischaemic CVA, classified in categories I 63 to I 69. QoL and functional neurological status were measured using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) and the SF-36 health questionnaire, respectively. RESULTS: Of a total of 59 patients who answered the surveys (mean age: 62 years; sex: 51% females), nearly half of them (29 patients; 49.1%) presented some kind of disability (mRS = 2). Thirty patients (50.9%) were independent or presented minimum sequelae (mRS = 1) at the end of the follow-up period. The mean QoL with the SF-36 questionnaire progressively diminished as the mRS score increased, especially in the group with mRS = 3. Although the youngest age group (range: 20-36 years) got the best average score (84 points) on the SF-36, no significant differences were found with the remaining age groups; the group made up of 75-year-olds and above was the one that obtained the lowest average score (63 points). Extensive strokes (total anterior circulation infarctions) of a cardioembolic origin (atrial fibrillation) had the lowest QoL indexes (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the population that was analysed, the QoL was inversely proportional to the age and the severity of the functional deficit of patients who survived a completed stroke, especially in the cardioembolic-origin subgroup, due to its being associated with more extensive cerebral infarcts.