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During follow-up,6%of the patients died and 21%had recurrent strokes, mostly new lacunar infarcts.A fast initial recovery was found in most patients.At 1 year,12%were dependent in personal ADL,which after 3 years had increased to 24%,mostly as a result of the effects of recurrent strokes.In a logistic multivariate regression model,moderate or severe hemiparesis 1 month after stroke onset was the strongest predictor of physical dependence or death at 3 years(P<.001),followed by white matter hyperintensities on MRI(p<.01).Age,vascular risk factors,and recurrent stroke were not statistically significant independent predictors of functional outcome.Functional outcome regarding physical independence was favorable in most patients.Motor impairment and white matter disease were the strongest predictors of a poor functional outcome.Recurrent stroke increased disability and handicap but was not a statistically significant independent risk factor.Measurements of personal ADL alone were insensitive in detecting the consequences of stroke in many patients with preserved self-care ability,who still experienced disability and handicap. |
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