RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Risk awareness and knowledge of patients with stroke: results of a questionnaire survey 3 months after stroke
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 726
OP 728
DO 10.1136/jnnp.2005.078618
VO 77
IS 6
A1 Croquelois, A
A1 Bogousslavsky, J
YR 2006
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/77/6/726.abstract
AB Background: Secondary prevention of stroke has been shown to dramatically reduce recurrence and has been described as suboptimal. Objective: To analyse patients’ awareness and knowledge about cerebrovascular risk factors (CVRF) and their influence on CVRF control. Methods: Patients (n = 164) who were attending a stroke outpatient clinic for the first time after hospital discharge (3 months) for a first stroke were asked to answer a short questionnaire including questions on awareness and knowledge of CVRF, visits to a CVRF specialist, number of visits to a general practitioner, adherence to drug treatments, cigarette smoking and cessation. Results: CVRF were spontaneously mentioned as relevant for their stroke by only13% of patients. A specialist was visited by only one-third of the patients and a general practitioner was not visited at all by 27% of the patients since their stroke. Awareness was inversely correlated with older age and good recovery. More than half of the patients had high blood pressure (≥140 mmHg for systolic and ≥90 mmHg for diastolic values) at the time of follow-up. These high values were correlated with poor awareness. Appropriate secondary stroke prevention measures were not received by one-fourth of the patients; this was also correlated with poor awareness. Conclusions: CVRF control is not optimal and is at least partially related to patients’ awareness and knowledge and suboptimal medical follow-up. Older patients and patients with excellent recovery are at particular risk for poor awareness and CVRF control.