From the Departments of Public Health and Clinical Medicine (J.P., B.C., P.-G.W.), Medicine (J.P., B.C., P.-G.W.), and Statistics, Umeå School of Business and Economics (M.E.), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden. johanna.pennlert@vll.se.
Previous studies have shown heterogeneous results on predictors and rates of stroke recurrence. This study set out to investigate the long-term risk and predictors of recurrent stroke in Northern Sweden 1995 to 2008.
In the population-based Monitoring Trends and Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease (MONICA) stroke incidence registry, stroke survivors of either ischemic stroke or intracerebral hemorrhage were followed for recurrent stroke or death. Cox regression was used to identify predictors of stroke recurrence.
The study comprised 6700 patients and 26 597 person-years. During follow-up, 928 (13.9%) patients had a recurrent stroke. Comparison between the first time period (1995-1998) and the last (2004-2008) showed declined risk of stroke recurrence (hazard ratio, 0.64 [95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.78]). Previous myocardial infarction was less prevalent in the most recent cohort (P