Pneumococcal pneumonia and the risk of stroke: a population-based follow-up study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: To investigate the risk of developing stroke in patients hospitalized following a diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia. METHODS: The study cohorts comprised of patients hospitalized with a principal diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia (n ?=?745), with a random sampling of control individuals in 2004 (n ?=?1490). The Cox proportional hazard model was used to compare the stroke-free survival rate between the cohorts after adjusting for possible confounding and risk factors for a two-year follow up. Instrumental variable analysis (IVA) was used to address potential biases associated with measured and unmeasured confounding variables. RESULTS: Of the 153 patients with stroke, 80 (10.7%) were from the pneumococcal pneumonia cohort, and 73 (4.9%) were from the control group. The risk of stroke was 3.65 times higher (95% confidence interval, 2.25-5.90; P<0.001) in patients with pneumococcal pneumonia after adjusting for patient characteristics, co-morbidities, geographic region, urbanization level of residence, and socioeconomic status during the first year. IVA showed an additional 14% risk of stroke for pneumococcal pneumonia patients (odds ratio?=?1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.26, P?=?0.032). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with pneumococcal pneumonia carry an increased risk for stroke than the general population. Further studies are warranted for developing better diagnostic and follow-up strategies for patients with increased risk.

SUBMITTER: Chen LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3520842 | biostudies-other | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other