Long-Term Trends in the Stroke Prognosis Among Rural Residents in China: A Population-Based Surveillance Study

OBJECTIVE: Although stroke mortality has remained stable over the past decade, the long-term trends of stroke burden are scarce in China, especially in low-income populations. Thus, we aimed to explore the secular trends in the prognosis of stroke in a low-income population in China. METHODS: This was a population-based stroke surveillance study that included all of the participants in the Tianjin Brain Study. Stroke management and outcomes were evaluated for all stroke patients. Trends in the burden of stroke were assessed as annual percentage changes. RESULTS: Overall, 1462 stroke cases occurred from 1992 to 2018, and 58.7% of patients were male. The rates of diagnosis by neuroimaging and of hospitalization increased noticeably across sexes and ages for all stroke types, and the greatest increases were observed among elderly women; diagnosis by neuroimaging increased by 4.7% and the rate of hospitalization increased by 12.4% (all P<0.001). Stroke fatality decreased by 3.7% annually among those aged <65 years and by 3.1% among patients aged ≥65 years; the corresponding rates were 7.4% and 3.5%, respectively, for women. The recurrence rate of ischemic stroke significantly decreased among all men, by 9.6% for those aged <65 years and by 3.1% for those aged ≥65 years; however, for women, this rate only significantly decreased for those aged ≥65 years. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that the allocation of medical resources has improved over the past decades. However, it is crucial to enhance secondary stroke prevention for women aged <65 years by controlling risk factors in low-income populations.