Probability of Death in Patients After Stroke Predicted by New Online Tool

A new tool that will help doctors predict the probability of death in patients after an ischemic stroke has been developed by scientists.

The study, conducted by researchers at St. Michael's Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) in Toronto, found that the tool determined the likelihood of death in stroke patients 30 days and one year after an ischemic stroke.

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Stroke can cause permanent disability and it is important to recognize its early warning signs to stop its progress. Early warning signs of stroke include sudden weakness of facial muscles.

An ischemic stroke, the most common type of stroke, occurs when an artery to the brain is blocked.

The tool, available online for doctors at http://www.sorcan.ca/iscore/, is the first to use risk factors such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer and kidney disease to estimate the probability of death.

The study examined 12,262 patients who visited an Ontario hospital from 2003 to 2008 and suffered an ischemic stroke.

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Using the new tool, researchers determined the death rate 30 days and one year after an ischemic stroke and compared the findings with data from the Ontario Stroke Audit to validate the results.

Researchers found the tool was accurate and that risk factors including heart disease, heart failure, cancer, dementia and a history of atrial fibrillation, an irregular heartbeat, were associated with a higher probability of death.

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The findings are being presented at the International Stroke Conference in Los Angeles also published in the journal Circulation.

Source-ANI