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Quality of life: predictors and outcomes after stroke in a Brazilian public hospital

Qualidade de vida: preditores e desfechos após acidente vascular cerebral em um hospital público brasileiro

Abstract

Background

Some scales are applied after stroke to measure functional independence but qualify of life (QoL) is sometimes neglected in this scenario.

Objective

To analyze predictors and outcomes of QoL after stroke using a validated scale in our population.

Methods

Our study included patients who had their first ischemic stroke and were followed in the outpatient clinic for at least 6 months from stroke index. Disability status was assessed using the modified Rankin scale (mRS), the Barthel index (BI), and the Lawton and Brody scale. Quality of life was assessed by a stroke-specific QoL (SSQoL) scale. Statistical significance was accepted for p< 0.05. The estimated measure of association was the odds ratio (OR) for which 95% confidence intervals (95%Cis) were presented.

Results

Of 196 patients studied, the median age was 60.4 (±13.4) years, and 89 (45.40%) of the patients were female. In a stepwise model considering risk factors, basic activities of daily living scales, satisfaction with life, and outcomes, we found four independent variables related to a poor QoL after stroke, namely hypertension, non-regular rehabilitation, not returning to work, and medical complications. The National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS) score at admission ≥ 9 was also an independent clinical marker. Approximately 30% of all participants had a negative score under 147 points in the SSQoL.

Conclusions

Our results showed that QoL after stroke in a developing country did not seem to differ from those of other countries, although there is a gap in rehabilitation programs in our public system. The functional scales are important tools, but they have failed to predict QoL, in some patients, when compared with specific scales.

Keywords
Stroke; Quality of Life; Stroke Rehabilitation; Health Services Accessibility; Patient Reported Outcome Measures

Resumo

Antecedentes

Algumas escalas são aplicadas após o acidente vascular cerebral (AVC) para avaliar a independência funcional, mas a qualidade de vida (QV) às vezes é negligenciada nesse cenário.

Objetivo

Analisar preditores e desfechos de QV após AVC utilizando uma escala validada em nossa população.

Métodos

Nosso estudo incluiu pacientes que tiveram seu primeiro AVC isquêmico e foram acompanhados no ambulatório por pelo menos 6 meses após o AVC. A funcionalidade foi avaliada pela escala de Rankin modificada, índice de Barthel e escala de Lawton e Brody. A QV foi avaliada pela ecala de qualidade de vida específica de acidente vascular cerebral (SSQoL). A significância estatística aceita foi p< 0,05. A medida de associação estimada foi o odds ratio (OR), para o qual foram apresentados intervalos de confiança (IC) de 95%.

Resultados

Dos 196 pacientes, a média de idade foi de 60,4 (±13,4) anos, sendo 89 (45,40%) do sexo feminino. Em um modelo stepwise considerando fatores de risco, escalas de atividades básicas da vida diária, satisfação com a vida e desfechos, encontramos quatro variáveis independentes relacionadas a uma QV ruim após o AVC, como hipertensão, reabilitação não regular, não retorno ao trabalho e comorbidades pós-AVC. A pontuação NIHSS na admissão ≥ 9 também foi um marcador clínico independente. Aproximadamente 30% de todos os participantes tiveram uma pontuação abaixo de 147 pontos para SSQoL.

Conclusões

Nossos resultados mostraram que a QV após AVC em um país em desenvolvimento não parece diferir de outros países, apesar da lacuna nos programas de reabilitação em nosso sistema público. As escalas funcionais são ferramentas importantes, mas falharam em alguns pacientes em predizer a QV quando comparadas com escalas específicas.

Palavras-chave
Acidente Vascular Cerebral; Qualidade de Vida; Reabilitação do Acidente Vascular Cerebral; Acesso aos Serviços de Saúde; Medidas de Resultados Relatados pelo Paciente

INTRODUCTION

Stroke is one of the main causes of death and the first cause of disability worldwide,11 Feigin VL, Abajobir AA, Abate KH, et al; GBD 2015 Neurological Disorders Collaborator Group. Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders during 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet Neurol 2017;16 (11):877-897. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28931491
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2893...
impairing activities of daily life and, consequently, quality of life (QoL).22 Sturm JW, Donnan GA, Dewey HM, et al. Quality of life after stroke: the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Stroke 2004;35(10):2340-2345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15331799
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533...
,33 Carod-Artal FJ, Trizotto DS, Coral LF, Moreira CM. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian stroke survivors. J Neurol Sci 2009;284 (1-2):63-68. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411080
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1941...
The outcomes of stroke seem to correlate with predictors related to QoL in stroke patients,44 Wolfe CD, Crichton SL, Heuschmann PU, et al. Estimates of outcomes up to ten years after stroke: analysis from the prospective South London Stroke Register. PLoS Med 2011;8(05):e1001033. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21610863
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2161...
,55 Leach MJ, Gall SL, Dewey HM, Macdonell RA, Thrift AG. Factors associated with quality of life in 7-year survivors of stroke. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2011;82(12):1365-1371. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551472
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2155...
such as age,22 Sturm JW, Donnan GA, Dewey HM, et al. Quality of life after stroke: the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Stroke 2004;35(10):2340-2345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15331799
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533...
,66 Banks JL, Marotta CA. Outcomes validity and reliability of the modified Rankin scale: implications for stroke clinical trials: a literature review and synthesis. Stroke 2007;38(03):1091-1096. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17272767
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1727...
sex,22 Sturm JW, Donnan GA, Dewey HM, et al. Quality of life after stroke: the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Stroke 2004;35(10):2340-2345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15331799
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533...
,77 Lopez-Espuela F, Zamorano JD, Ramírez-Moreno JM, et al. Determinants of quality of life in stroke survivors after 6 months, from a comprehensive stroke unit: A longitudinal study. Biol Res Nurs 2015; 17(05):461-468. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25294362
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2529...
,88 Savini S, Buck HG, Dickson VV, et al. Quality of life in stroke survivorcaregiver dyads: a new conceptual framework and longitudinal study protocol. J Adv Nurs 2015;71(03):676-687. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25186274
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economic status,99 Paul SL, Sturm JW, Dewey HM, Donnan GA, Macdonell RA, Thrift AG. Long-term outcome in the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study: predictors of quality of life at 5 years after stroke. Stroke 2005;36(10):2082-2086. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16179566
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,1010 Baumann M, Couffignal S, Le Bihan E, Chau N. Life satisfaction two-years after stroke onset: the effects of gender, sex occupational status, memory function and quality of life among stroke patients (Newsqol) and their family caregivers (Whoqol-bref) in Luxembourg. BMC Neurol 2012;12(12):105. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23009364
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2300...
employment, educational level,1111 Rangel ESS, Belasco A, Diccini S. Qualidade de vida de pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral em reabilitação. [Quality of life of patients with stroke rehabilitation]. Acta Paul Enferm 2013;26 (02):205-212 Portuguese. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S0103-002013000200016&script¼sci_abstract&tlng¼pt
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S010...
marital status, ability to return to work,1212 Naess H, Waje-Andreassen U, Thomassen L, Nyland H, Myhr KM. Health-related quality of life among young adults with ischemic stroke on long-term follow-up. Stroke 2006;37(05):1232-1236,1313 Patel MD, McKevitt C, Lawrence E, Rudd AG, Wolfe CD. Clinical determinants of long-term quality of life after stroke. Age Ageing 2007;36(03):316-322. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17374601
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1737...
presence of daily caregiver,88 Savini S, Buck HG, Dickson VV, et al. Quality of life in stroke survivorcaregiver dyads: a new conceptual framework and longitudinal study protocol. J Adv Nurs 2015;71(03):676-687. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25186274
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2518...
,1414 Moreira NRTL, Andrade A, Ribeiro K, Nascimento JA, Brito G. Qualidade de vida em indivíduos acometidos por Acidente Vascular Cerebral. [Quality of life of individuals affected by stroke]. Rev Neurocienc 2015;23(04):530-537. Portuguese. http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/edicoes/2015/2304/originais/1036original.pdf
http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/e...
medical complications after stroke,88 Savini S, Buck HG, Dickson VV, et al. Quality of life in stroke survivorcaregiver dyads: a new conceptual framework and longitudinal study protocol. J Adv Nurs 2015;71(03):676-687. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25186274
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2518...
,1515 Jaracz K, Kozubski W. Quality of life in stroke patients. Acta Neurol Scand 2003;107(05):324-329https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12713523
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1271...
,1616 Jönsson AC, Lindgren I, Hallström B, Norrving B, Lindgren A. Determinants of quality of life in stroke survivors and their informal caregivers. Stroke 2005;36(04):803-808. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15761203
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1576...
and regular rehabilitation and functional scales.1717 Gunaydin R, Karatepe AG, Kaya T, Ulutas O. Determinants of quality of life (QoL) in elderly stroke patients: a short-term follow-up study. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2011;53(01):19-23. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20598382
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2059...
All these findings can contribute to the development of public policies which aim to improve care among stroke survivors. However, there are only a few studies that evaluate long-term QoL after stroke in a developing country.

Due to the high prevalence of cerebrovascular disease in Brazil, a Stroke Care Line was developed by the Brazilian Stroke Society together with the Ministry of Health.1818 Brasil. Ministério da Saúde (BR). Portaria n.° 665, de 12 de abril de 2012. Dispõe sobre os critérios de habilitação dos estabelecimentos hospitalares como Centro de Atendimento de Urgência aos Pacientes com Acidente Vascular Cerebral (AVC), no âmbito do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), institui o respectivo incentivo financeiro e aprova a Linha de Cuidados em AVC. Diária Oficial União. 12 abr 2012 This protocol starts with primary care in a basic health network involving population campaigns to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke, including training the emergency medical service (EMS), called SAMU, and a Comprehensive Stroke Center with hospital management protocols, neuroimaging, and investigation exams for appropriate secondary prevention. We also have some complimentary medicine delivered, such as antiplatelet, statins, antihypertensives, and diabetes treatment. There are currently 67 certified high-quality centers in Brazil, not too much for a large country, but new efforts to get a Latin American certification have started. Due to the lack of specialized physicians, some tele stroke programs have also been organized to provide online assistance. However, we all know that acute treatment does not always allow independence in these patients, and rehabilitation centers are an important method to reinsert the patient into a productive society and reduce the social burden. Besides that, QoL seems to have a high contribution to improve in all means of the patient life, including mental health, and guiding rehabilitation therapy. Unfortunately, in our public health system, it is still missing in the stroke care line. There is no real data about how the patient reaches a specialized team and how it influences the daily functional abilities. Standards of stroke outcome tools can be used to evaluate individual patients, such as the modified Rankin scale (mRS), Barthel, but it does not necessarily identify all predictors of QoL. Most likely, in a developing country such as Brazil, differences in care can be found based on economic and social levels.33 Carod-Artal FJ, Trizotto DS, Coral LF, Moreira CM. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian stroke survivors. J Neurol Sci 2009;284 (1-2):63-68. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411080
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1941...
,1414 Moreira NRTL, Andrade A, Ribeiro K, Nascimento JA, Brito G. Qualidade de vida em indivíduos acometidos por Acidente Vascular Cerebral. [Quality of life of individuals affected by stroke]. Rev Neurocienc 2015;23(04):530-537. Portuguese. http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/edicoes/2015/2304/originais/1036original.pdf
http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/e...

The present study aimed to measure QoL after the first stroke in patients attended at a Brazilian public hospital. We also investigated the association between predictors and outcomes in this population.

METHODS

Our study included patients who had experienced their first ischemic stroke. All were admitted to a public stroke center and were followed in an outpatient clinic for at least 6 months from stroke index. We interview all stroke patients at the outpatient clinic for 1 year and selected them according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. They were interviewed between June 2016 and July 2017. This study was conducted ethically following the local ethics committee (CAAE 34716314.7.0000.0096). Written and oral informed consent was obtained from the study participants.

Patients were eligible to participate in the present study if they were 18 years or older and had received neuroimaging (computed tomography [CT] scan or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) during admission to confirm the presence of a brain lesion. The exclusion criteria were refusal to participate, prior clinical stroke, recurrence of stroke during the study period, cognitive impairment, and aphasia based on medical records. Stroke was classified based on the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment classification system (TOAST) criteria.1919 Adams HP Jr, Bendixen BH, Kappelle LJ, et al. Classification of subtype of acute ischemic stroke. Definitions for use in a multicenter clinical trial. TOAST. Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment. Stroke 1993;24(01):35-41

Of the 305 patients admitted with their first ischemic stroke during the study period, 16 (5.24%) refused to participate, 45 (14.75%) presented with cognitive impairment, and 48 (15.75%) died. A total of 196 (64.26%) participants comprises the analytic cohort. We collected sociodemographic and clinical data—including scores for the National Institutes of Health stroke scale (NIHSS)—at hospital admission and scores of dependences at discharge. We analyzed the results from the Barthel index (BI) and the modified Rankin scale (mRS) to measure basic activities of daily living (BADL),2020 Rankin J. Cerebral vascular accidents in patients over the age of 60. II. Prognosis. Scott Med J 1957;2(05):200-215. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13432835
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1343...
,2121 Shah S, Vanclay F, Cooper B. Improving the sensitivity of the Barthel Index for stroke rehabilitation. J Clin Epidemiol 1989;42 (08):703-709. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760661
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760...
and the Lawton and Brody inventory to measure instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) on the same day of the interview.2222 Lopes dos Santos R, Virtuoso JS. Confiabilidade da versão brasileira da escala de atividades instrumentais da vida diária. [Reliability of the Brazilian version of the Scale of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living]. RBPS 2008;21(04):290-296 Portuguese. http://hp.unifor.br/pdfs_notitia/2974.pdf
http://hp.unifor.br/pdfs_notitia/2974.pd...
Individuals were considered independent if they had a BI score > 60 and a mRS ≤ 22020 Rankin J. Cerebral vascular accidents in patients over the age of 60. II. Prognosis. Scott Med J 1957;2(05):200-215. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13432835
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1343...
,2121 Shah S, Vanclay F, Cooper B. Improving the sensitivity of the Barthel Index for stroke rehabilitation. J Clin Epidemiol 1989;42 (08):703-709. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760661
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2760...
for BADL and a score equal to 212222 Lopes dos Santos R, Virtuoso JS. Confiabilidade da versão brasileira da escala de atividades instrumentais da vida diária. [Reliability of the Brazilian version of the Scale of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living]. RBPS 2008;21(04):290-296 Portuguese. http://hp.unifor.br/pdfs_notitia/2974.pdf
http://hp.unifor.br/pdfs_notitia/2974.pd...
for IADL. A stroke-specific quality of life (SSQoL) scale was applied to assess QoL.2323 Williams LS, Weinberger M, Harris LE, Biller J. Measuring quality of life in a way that is meaningful to stroke patients. Neurology 1999;53(08):1839-1843 The investigator performed all measures. The SSQoL consists of multiple health domains using patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This scale has 49 questions that assess the following 12 domains: mobility, energy, upper extremity function, work/productivity, mood, self-care, social roles, family roles, vision, thinking, personality, and language. Scores range from 49 (very poor QoL) to 245 (optimal QoL). Values below or equal to 147 points (cut-off) were considered as poor QoL.1111 Rangel ESS, Belasco A, Diccini S. Qualidade de vida de pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral em reabilitação. [Quality of life of patients with stroke rehabilitation]. Acta Paul Enferm 2013;26 (02):205-212 Portuguese. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S0103-002013000200016&script¼sci_abstract&tlng¼pt
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S010...
,1414 Moreira NRTL, Andrade A, Ribeiro K, Nascimento JA, Brito G. Qualidade de vida em indivíduos acometidos por Acidente Vascular Cerebral. [Quality of life of individuals affected by stroke]. Rev Neurocienc 2015;23(04):530-537. Portuguese. http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/edicoes/2015/2304/originais/1036original.pdf
http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/e...
,2424 Erban P, Woertgen C, Luerding R, Bogdahn U, Schlachetzki F, Horn M. Long-term outcome after hemicraniectomy for space occupying right hemispheric MCA infarction. Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2006;108(04):384-387,2525 Schwab-Malek S, Vatankhah B, Bogdahn U, Horn M, Audebert HJ. Depressive symptoms and quality of life after thrombolysis in stroke: the TEMPiS study. J Neurol 2010;257(11):1848-1854 This scale is validated in Portuguese for a Brazilian population.2626 Lima RCM, Teixeira-Salmela LF, Magalhães LC, Gomes-Neto M. Propriedades psicométricas da versão brasileira da escala de qualidade de vida específica para acidente vascular encefálico: aplicação do modelo Rasch. [Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Stroke Specific Quality of Life Scale: Application of the Rasch model]. Rev. Bras. Fisioter. 2008;12(02):149-156. Portuguese. Available from: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script¼sci_arttext&pid¼S1413-35552008000200012&lng¼en Doi: 10.1590/S1413-35552008000200012
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script¼s...

Statistical analyses were performed using Stata/SE v.14.1 software (Stata Corp LLC, College Station, TX, USA). For comparison of quantitative variables, the Student t-test and the Mann-Whitney U or Kruskal-Wallis tests were conducted, considering normal distribution. Categorical variables were analyzed using a Chi-squared test or Fisher exact test. The normality of data was determined using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. The Spearman correlation coefficient was considered to analyze correlations between quantitative variables. For multivariable analysis, factors associated with a poor QoL, logistic regression models were adjusted, considering a stepwise backward approach2727 Hosmer JR, David W, Lemeshow S, Sturdivant RX. Applied Logistic Regression. New York (NY): Wiley; 2013 and including variables with p< 0.25 in the univariate analysis. The estimated measure of association was the odds ratio (OR) for which 95% confidence intervals (95%ICs) were presented. There was no evidence of inadequate adjustments. Statistical significance was accepted for p< 0.05.

RESULTS

Of the 196 patients, the median age was 60.4 (±13.4) years, and 89 (45.40%) of the patients were female. The mean time from stroke index was 20 (±13) months. Significant risk factors were hypertension in 42 (70%; p= 0.041) and diabetes in 22 (37%; p= 0.021) patients. Stroke-specific quality of life scores showed that 60 (31.6%) participants had poor QoL. A NIHSS score ≥ 9 or more on admission was correlated with poor QoL (p= 0.001). Although 25 (42%) patients had been classified with a good BADL score (mRS ≤ 2), they also rated a poor QoL (p< 0.01). The demographic data and vascular risk factors are presented in Table 1.

Table 1
Demographic data and risk factors in patients with first ischemic stroke (before admission)

Because the interview occurs at least 6 months after the discharge, new variables were assessed: the presence of a daily caregiver (p< 0.001), not returning to work (p= 0.001), and irregular rehabilitation (p= 0.007). All of them were significant. At the time of the interview, both BADL and IADL were correlating with poor QoL (Table 2) (Table 3).

Table 2
Clinical Characteristics in patients with stroke and medical complications
Table 3
Outpatients assessment

In the multivariable analysis, hypertension, irregular rehabilitation, unemployment, medical complications after stroke, and dependence on BADL and IADL were also predictors of poor QoL (Table 4).

Table 4
Multivariate analysis

We also analyzed scores for each SSQoL domain. Mobility (p< 0.001) and work/productivity (p< 0.001) were statistically significant for good QoL, and self-care (p< 0.001) and vision (p< 0.001) were statistically significant for poor QoL (Table 5).

Table 5
Significance (%) of domains according to SSQOL

A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was performed to identify a cutoff point for the NIHSS at admission associated with QoL. The patients with scores > 9 were more likely to have poor QoL (p= 0.001) with 62.1% of sensitivity and 69.7% of specificity.

DISCUSSION

Our study demonstrated that almost one third of first-time ischemic stroke patients had poor QoL for a long-term period after stroke. It was somehow similar to the results of European countries. The main factors associated with poor QoL were mRS, BADL and IADL, hypertension, irregular rehabilitation (including delay of rehabilitation), unemployment (including retirement), and medical complication after stroke (mood, cognition, neurological and clinical disorders). When using a SSQoL, the affected domains were mobility, self-care, work/productivity, and vision.

Previous international studies report 23 to 40% of patients with poor QoL after 6 months of stroke.55 Leach MJ, Gall SL, Dewey HM, Macdonell RA, Thrift AG. Factors associated with quality of life in 7-year survivors of stroke. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2011;82(12):1365-1371. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21551472
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2155...
,2828 De Wit L, Theuns P, Dejaeger E, et al. Long-term impact of stroke on patients’ health-related quality of life. Disabil Rehabil 2017;39(14): 1435-1440. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27385479
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2738...
Although our data comes from a developing country, it appears that stroke has been a global target in health policy all over the world. Recent studies have targeted QoL, but it is still missing attention as a rehabilitation point of care. Three previous studies conducted in Brazil (Northeast and Midwest) about QoL in stroke patients found some different domains' impairment including mood, cognition, and functional disabilities, and going deeper into these differences is necessary. They also cited age, sex, depression, need for a daily caregiver, and financial status as determinant variables for this finding.33 Carod-Artal FJ, Trizotto DS, Coral LF, Moreira CM. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian stroke survivors. J Neurol Sci 2009;284 (1-2):63-68. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411080
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1941...
,1111 Rangel ESS, Belasco A, Diccini S. Qualidade de vida de pacientes com acidente vascular cerebral em reabilitação. [Quality of life of patients with stroke rehabilitation]. Acta Paul Enferm 2013;26 (02):205-212 Portuguese. http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S0103-002013000200016&script¼sci_abstract&tlng¼pt
http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid¼S010...
,1414 Moreira NRTL, Andrade A, Ribeiro K, Nascimento JA, Brito G. Qualidade de vida em indivíduos acometidos por Acidente Vascular Cerebral. [Quality of life of individuals affected by stroke]. Rev Neurocienc 2015;23(04):530-537. Portuguese. http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/edicoes/2015/2304/originais/1036original.pdf
http://www.revistaneurociencias.com.br/e...
We conducted our study in the south of Brazil, which has a better socioeconomic and educational status. The differences could bring more information regarding cross-cultural differences in our larger country. However, as we expected, our population is in line with hypertension as the main risk factor for stroke, and better control directly improves the total care.2929 Lotufo PA. Stroke is still a neglected disease in Brazil. Sao Paulo Med J 2015;133(06):457-459. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26760122
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2676...

30 Fernandes JG. Stroke prevention and control in Brazil: missed opportunities. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2015;73(09):733-735. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26352488
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2635...
-3131 Kwon S, Park JH, Kim WS, Han K, Lee Y, Paik NJ. Health-related quality of life and related factors in stroke survivors: Data from Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) 2008 to 2014. PLoS One 2018;13(04):e0195713

Functional disabilities measures with BADL and IADL were found to be the predictors of QoL. However, we showed that 55% of patients who could independently perform BADL were still dependent on caregivers for IADL. It is an important finding that brings the necessity to better evaluate the stroke patient beyond mRS and BI scores (BADL) as isolated measurements for QoL. Our hypothesis based on these results directly goes to the disparity in the assessment of the cognitive and complex functions by the BADL. We could identify a cutoff of NIHSS at admission related to a poor QoL. It was the first citation and should be emphasized. Other studies have suggested different cutoff scores to predict poor outcomes; however, they did not correlate with QoL as an endpoint.22 Sturm JW, Donnan GA, Dewey HM, et al. Quality of life after stroke: the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS). Stroke 2004;35(10):2340-2345. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15331799
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533...
,33 Carod-Artal FJ, Trizotto DS, Coral LF, Moreira CM. Determinants of quality of life in Brazilian stroke survivors. J Neurol Sci 2009;284 (1-2):63-68. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19411080
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1941...
,3232 Chen CM, Tsai CC, Chung CY, Chen CL, Wu KP, Chen HC. Potential predictors for health-related quality of life in stroke patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation. Health Qual Life Outcomes 2015;13 (01):118. https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12955-015-0314-5
https://hqlo.biomedcentral.com/articles/...

Outcomes were also analyzed in our study. We found that irregular rehabilitation, unemployment, and medical complications after stroke were significant variables for predicting poor QoL. These results can be partially explained by the lack of early and continuous rehabilitation programs. We recommend confirming this data, which can be a valiant direction to political health.

Quality of life is better defined when we focus on domains. Our study found that mobility, self-care, and work/productivity were impacted in our patients with poor QoL. Although some of these domains are also demonstrated in functional scales, the SSQoL scale affords a better description of the difficulties that could be a reference point in rehabilitation plans. An inexplicable finding was a vision impairment in patients without corresponding topographical lesions. This has been previously reported, and the possible explanation was a bias of previous problems.3333 Sand KM, Wilhelmsen G, Naess H, Midelfart A, Thomassen L, Hoff JM. Vision problems in ischaemic stroke patients: effects on life quality and disability. Eur J Neurol 2016;23(Suppl 1):1-7

Our study has some limitations. All recording of data was performed by the author that was not blinded to the history or medical conditions, but the questionnaire was answered by the patient (PROs). We also know that there are various scales to measure QoL, and we did not apply more than one to compare. On the other hand, the SSQoL scale is specific for stroke patients and is validated in our language (Brazilian Portuguese). Furthermore, as we excluded recurrent stroke patients, a small number from a single center limited the generalizability of our study.

We consider that QoL needs to be prioritized in stroke studies. The importance and diversity of predictors should be analyzed in each country (even in regions) once healthcare policy can apply the results to improve stroke care. Prospective studies should measure QoL before and after implementing rehabilitation strategies to confirm our hypothesis that better and early rehabilitation can improve QoL after stroke.3434 Zetola VF, Rosa CT. Are we looking to stroke and quality of life? MOJ Gerontol Ger. 2019;4(04):145-146. Doi: 10.15406/mojgg.2019.04.00196
https://doi.org/10.15406/mojgg.2019.04.0...

In conclusion, our study shows that ∼ 30% of patients had poor QoL after their first ischemic stroke, which impaired their ability to participate in daily activities and probably interfered with mental health. No regular rehabilitation and not returning to work appeared to be crucial factors related to it. A functional stroke recovery should encompass parameters of QoL. Stroke is undoubtedly the best model to study QoL once it is considered the most debilitating disease worldwide. We suggest including a more extensive approach in the rehabilitation model that considers not only disability assessment but also encompasses QoL domains in stroke survivors.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    28 Apr 2023
  • Date of issue
    2023

History

  • Received
    02 May 2022
  • Accepted
    15 July 2022
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