Stroke subtypes and comorbidity among ischemic stroke patients in Brasilia and Cuenca: a Brazilian-Spanish cross-cultural study.

BACKGROUND: With the increase in life expectancy worldwide, changes in stroke subtypes and burden of stroke population are expected in both developing and developed countries. Prevalence of stroke subtypes and comorbidity in ischemic stroke patients was assessed in Brasilia, Brazil, and Cuenca, Spain. METHODS: This was an international (Brazilian-Spanish) cross-sectional study. Stroke subtypes were assessed by means of Trial of ORG 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. Modified Rankin scale was used to measure functional recovery and the Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics (CIRS-G) was used to assess comorbidity. RESULTS: A total of 500 patients (mean age 66.2 ± 16.4 years; 48% female; 48.2% Spanish) were included in the study. Spanish patients were significantly older than Brazilian ones (76.4 ± 11.2 versus 56.7 ± 14.6 years; P < .0001). Prevalence of ischemic cardiopathy (20.3% versus 6.2%) and atrial fibrillation (25.7% versus 6.6%) was significantly higher in Spanish stroke patients, whereas they less frequently used tobacco (28.3% versus 52.9%); P less than .0001. Prevalence of stroke subtypes in Spanish and Brazilian stroke patients was: stroke of undetermined etiology (58.1% versus 32.4%), cardioembolism (24.5% versus 11.6%), lacunar infarct (11.6% versus 25.5%), atherothrombotic (3.7% versus 19.7%), and other causes (2.1% versus 10.8%); P less than .0001. The Spanish sample had a significantly higher frequency of comorbidities. The CIRS-G total score and CIRS-G mean number of affected organs significantly increased with age, and correlated with the level of functional dependence as measured by Rankin scale (rS = 0.50; P = .0005). CONCLUSION: Spanish stroke people had a higher frequency of comorbid conditions, atrial fibrillation, and cardioembolism and these facts were associated with age. Atherothrombotic and lacunar strokes were more common in the younger Brazilian stroke population.

Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian stroke survivors.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the main determinants of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in Brazilian stroke survivors. METHODS: Patients were assessed with the NIH Stroke Scale, Barthel index (BI), Lawton scale, modified-Rankin scale, Cumulative Illness Rating Scale for Geriatrics, Mini-Mental State Examination, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) 3.0. RESULTS: 260 stroke survivors were assessed (mean age: 55.9 years; 55.2% males). Eighty-eight per cent of patients had an ischemic infarction. Approximately one third (31.5%) had a BI score < or = 60 (severe disability), and 34.5% were independent in the activities of daily living. Prevalence of post-stroke depression was significantly higher in females than in males (25% vs 15.4%; p=0.05). Post-stroke depression was associated with female sex, disability, and lower cognitive functioning (p<0.001). SIS Physical Composite Domain mean score was 46.6. Hand Function (26.5), Strength (47.6), Mobility (50.1), Social participation (50.6), and Emotion (52.2) were the most affected domains. HRQoL of stroke survivors decreased in a significant way as motor impairment severity, disability, functional status and mood worsened (ANOVA, p<0.0001). Motor impairment, disability, and mood disturbances were independent predictors of HRQoL in the multivariate regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Post-stroke depression and disability are consistent determinants of HRQoL in Brazilian stroke patients.

The stroke impact scale 3.0: evaluation of acceptability, reliability, and validity of the Brazilian version.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: We sought to assess the psychometric attributes of the Brazilian version of the Stroke Impact Scale (SIS) 3.0 in stroke survivors. METHODS: Patients were evaluated by the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, Barthel Index, Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living Scale, modified Rankin Scale, Geriatric Depression Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Health-related quality of life was evaluated with the MOS-Short Form 36 and SIS 3.0. RESULTS: One hundred seventy-four stroke survivors were assessed (mean age, 56.9 years; 55.2% male). Hand function had a prominent floor effect (45.9%), whereas a ceiling effect was observed in the communication domain (17.3%). The internal consistency of SIS (Cronbach's alpha=0.94) and SIS domains (item-dimension correlation, 0.17 to 0.89) were satisfactory; only the emotion domain had poor internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.49). Test-retest reliability was evaluated in 50 consecutive patients. Concerning the stability of the SIS, the weighted kappa values ranged from 0.33 (item 3a) to 0.94 (item 7e). Intraclass correlation coefficient values for the SIS domains ranged from 0.48 (emotion) to 0.94 (hand function). Standard error of measurement values for SIS domains ranged from 6.85 (mobility) to 9.63 (social participation). Regarding convergent validity, a significant correlation (Spearman's correlation coefficient, P<0.0001) was found between the SIS composite physical domain and the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (-0.69), modified Rankin Scale (-0.81), Barthel Index (0.87), Lawton Scale (0.76), and MOS-Short Form 36 physical component summary (0.61). SIS domain scores significantly decreased as modified Rankin Scale scores increased (discriminative validity; ANOVA, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The Brazilian version of SIS 3.0 has satisfactory psychometric properties and can be used in stroke survivors to assess health-related quality of life.