Objective
This study aimed to investigate the current condition of mortality‐specific comorbidity among hospitalized patients with ischemic stroke.
Methods
Five‐year data of inpatients with ischemic stroke (IS) were extracted from the hospital medical database. A retrospective review of eighteen mortality‐specific comorbidities in extensively validated Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) was carried out for each patient. In addition, the distribution of the CCI‐based prognostic score was calculated.
Results
A total of 10 331 (male 57.6%) cases with IS were recruited in the present study. The most prevalent mortality‐specific comorbidities from high to low were as follows: peripheral vascular disease (35.1%), diabetes uncomplicated (25.2%),mild liver disease (18.3%), chronic pulmonary disease (14.7%), congestive heart failure (10.8%), atrial fibrillation or flutter (10.3%), diabetes complicated (9.1%), moderate or severe renal disease (7.5%), and dementia (7.1%). High prevalence of comorbidities in the elderly was also noted (31.1% patients with score ≥3). Spearman correlation analysis with a rho of 0.25 (P < 0.001) showed a mild correlation between the age‐ and the CCI‐based prognostic score.
Conclusion
High prevalence of peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, chronic pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, or flutter as major contributors to mortality was presented in in‐hospital patients with IS in our area. One‐third of old patients with IS expose high mortality risk with the CCI score ≥3. Early prevention and management of the potential comorbidities are necessary to reduce the mortality.