[Incidence, etiology and long-term prognosis of stroke].

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

In Germany, basic data on stroke morbidity are lacking. So far only routine mortality statistics have provided information on epidemiology of stroke. Therefore, a population-based register of stroke was set up in Germany to determine incidence and case fatality in a defined German population.

METHODS

The Erlangen Stroke Register is a prospective community-based study among the 101,450 residents of the city of Erlangen, Bavaria, Germany. All identified cases of first-ever strokes were followed-up to 12 months from onset of stroke.

RESULTS

During 2 years of registration, 354 first-ever-in-a-lifetime strokes (FELS) were registered. The diagnosis and stroke type were confirmed by CT scan in 95 % of cases. Fifty-one percent of all FELS occurred in the age group > 75 years of age. After age-adjustment to the German standard population, the incidence rate was 182 per 100,000 (200 per 100,000 for men and 170 per 100,000 for women). Overall case fatality at 28 days was 19.4 %, at 3 months it was 28.5 %, and at 1 year 37.3 %.

CONCLUSIONS

The first prospective community-based stroke register in Germany including all age groups revealed incidence rates of stroke similar to those reported from other population-based studies in western industrialized countries.