Secondary Stroke Prevention After Ischemic Stroke in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementia Disorders

• BACKGROUND: Recurrent ischemic stroke (IS) increases the risk of cognitive decline. To lower the risk of recurrent IS, secondary prevention is essential.OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to compare post-discharge secondary IS prevention and its maintenance up to 3 years after first IS in patients with and without Alzheimer's disease and other dementia disorders.METHODS: Prospective open-cohort study 2007-2014 from the Swedish national dementia registry (SveDem) and the Swedish national stroke registry (Riksstroke). Patients with dementia who experienced an IS (n = 1410; 332 [23.5%] with Alzheimer's disease) were compared with matched non-dementia IS patients (n = 7150). We analyzed antiplatelet, anticoagulant, blood pressure lowering, and statin treatment as planned medication initiation at discharge and actual dispensation of medications at first, second, and third year post-stroke.RESULTS: At discharge, planned initiation of medication was higher in patients with dementia compared to non-dementia patients for antiplatelets (OR with 95% CI for fully adjusted models 1.23 [1.02-1.48]) and lower for blood pressure lowering medication (BPLM; 0.57 [0.49-0.67]), statins (0.57 [0.50-0.66]), and anticoagulants (in patients with atrial fibrillation - AF; 0.41 [0.32-0.53]). When analysis for antiplatelets was stratified according to the presence of AF, ORs for receiving antiplatelets remained significant only in the presence of AF (in the presence of AF 1.56 [1.21-2.01], in patients without AF 0.99 [0.75-1.33]). Similar trends were observed in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year post-stroke.CONCLUSIONS: Dementia was a predictor of lower statin and BPLM use. Patients with dementia and AF were more likely to be prescribed antiplatelets and less likely to receive anticoagulants.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Geriatrik (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Geriatrics (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Annan medicin och hälsovetenskap -- Gerontologi, medicinsk/hälsovetenskaplig inriktning (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Other Medical and Health Sciences -- Gerontology, specialising in Medical and Health Sciences (hsv//eng)

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Neurologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Neurology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Alzheimer’s disease

anticoagulants

antihypertensive agents

cohort studies

dementia

hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors

ischemic stroke

platelet aggregation inhibitors

secondary prevention

Alzheimer’s disease

anticoagulants

antihypertensive agents

cohort studies

dementia

hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors

ischemic stroke

platelet aggregation inhibitors

secondary prevention

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)