OBJECTIVETo describe survival conditions of patients with stroke and to analyze the factors associated with survival, a seven-year follow-up study was carried out.

METHODSFrom Nov. 1995 to Dec. 1996, 189 stroke patients were selected in the Department of Neurology, General Hospital, Tianjin Medical University. Cases were followed up since the onset of stroke. Data collected would include case history, illness and survival conditions. Kaplan-Meier methods were used for survival description. Cox regression was used for prognostic factors analyses.

RESULTSA total number of 82 patients had been dead during the period of study and among them,58 cases died from stroke. The survival rate was 79.86% in one year, 65.46% in three years and 57.46% in seven years. Factors with statistical significance that associated with survival would include: age (RR = 1.065, P < 0.001), physical exercises before stroke (RR = 0.308, P<0.001), hypertension history (RR = 1.785, P < 0.05) and stroke history (RR =2.493, P < 0.001) while factors associated with severity of the illness were: area of cerebral lesion, conditions when discharged from the hospital, rehabilitative treatment of post-discharge and recurrence. We also found that social-psychical factors as rehabilitative confidence, repression, negative event, support from relatives and friends were related to survival of stroke.

CONCLUSIONSHistories on hypertension, stroke and brain injury condition were related to the rate survival on stroke. Patients persisting physical exercises before stroke had better prognosis. The survival rate of patients with recurrence was lower than those without while social psychic factors might be related to survival.