Mental status and health-related quality of life in an elderly population 15 years after limited cerebral ischaemia

• Published in: Journal of neurology Vol. 254; no. 8; pp. 1018 - 1025
• Main Authors: VAN WIJK, I, GORTER, J. W, LINDEMAN, E, KAPPELLE, L. J, VAN GIJN, J, KOUDSTAAL, P. J, ALGRA, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.08.2007; Springer Nature B.V; Steinkopff-Verlag
• Subjects: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Ischemia - epidemiology; Brain Ischemia - mortality; Brain Ischemia - physiopathology; Brain Ischemia - psychology; Cardiac arrhythmia; Comorbidity; Disabled Persons - statistics & numerical data; Female; Health Status; Humans; Ischemia; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Original Communication; Population; Quality of Life; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; Stroke; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survivors; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Netherlands; Human; Nervous system diseases; mental status; Cardiovascular disease; health-related quality of life; cerebral ischaemia; Cerebral disorder; Quality of life; Vascular disease; Health status; comorbidity; Central nervous system disease; Brain ischemia; Elderly; Cerebrovascular disease
• ISSN: 0340-5354; 1432-1459
• DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0480-9

Stroke has a major impact on survivors. Our study was designed to describe the mental status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in long-term survivors of TIA or minor ischaemic stroke (MIS) and evaluate associations of mental and physical factors with HR-QoL. A random sample of the 10-year survivors of the Dutch TIA Trial (DTT) and the dutch participants of the European Atrial Fibrillation Trial (EAFT) were interviewed by postal questionnaire (n = 468) and at home (n = 198). Demographic data, mental health status (depression (CES-D), cognition (CAMCOG)), and health perception (SF-36 and Euroqol) were measured. 198 long-term survivors were included; mean age was 72.5 (SD 8.7 years), 22% was depressed (CES-D > or = 16) and 15% had cognitive dysfunction (CAMCOG < 80). The overall HR-QoL did not differ much from the norm population. Physical disability, occurrence of a major stroke and comorbidity of locomotion or the heart were independently associated with a low health perception. Despite varying amounts of disability, the majority of long-term survivors of a TIA or MIS rated their quality of life as rather good. Physical factors, rather than mental status were independently related to a decrease in perceived health.