Research from the University of Georgia (UGA) indicates that age may not factor into how a patient should be treated following stroke. A recent news article from the university notes that historically younger patients have received different post-stroke intervention strategies than those over a certain age. Yet, according to research conducted by Neale Chumbler, PhD, UGA professor, head of the department of health policy and management in the College of Public Health, patients respond equally to care efforts.
After assessing 127 Veterans Affairs medical centers and a sample of 3,196 patients treated for ischemic strokes, the article reports that Chumbler sought to study patient response to care quality as outpatients and whether the response changed based upon age. In order to pinpoint risk, Chumbler reported investigated depression symptoms, responses to blood thinning medications and average blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels during a period of 6 months following patient discharge from the hospital post-stroke.
The results suggested little difference in health quality across the patients, regardless of age, according to the article. Chumbler adds that while the 97% of the individuals assessed by the study were men with an average of 67 years, the results are widely applicable to women as well as patients of all ages.
“Traditionally, preventative care has not been as aggressive for older patients,” Chumbler states, “This research shows it is just as important for people in their 80s as it is for those in their 50s.”
Chumbler also maintains that key clinical evidence and guidelines should drive stroke management, regardless of age.
The study appears in the Journal of Rehabilitation Research and Development.
Source: University of Georgia
