Stroke Mortality, Clinical Presentation and Day of Arrival: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

Table 4

Baseline characteristics (1987–1989) of stroke patients by stroke type in the atherosclerosis risk in communities (ARIC) study.

Variables	Ischemic (𝑛=821, 88%)	Hemorrhagic (𝑛=108, 12%)	𝑃 value^†
Arrival day
Weekday	629 (77)	82 (76)	.87
Weekend*	192 (23)	26 (24)
Mean age in years (95% CI)	66.8 (66.3, 67.2)	64.4 (62.9, 65.9)
Gender
Male	414 (50)	42 (39)	.02
Female	407 (50)	66 (61)
Race
White	463 (57)	47 (44)	.009
African American	352 (43)	61 (56)
Center
Forsyth County	171 (21)	21 (19)	.01
Jackson	310 (38)	58 (54)
Minneapolis	147 (18)	13 (12)
Washington County	193 (23)	16 (15)
Race center category
Forsyth blacks	42 (5)	3(3)	.02
Forsyth whites	129 (16)	18 (17)
Minneapolis whites	141 (17)	13 (12)
Washington Co. whites	193 (24)	16 (15)
Jackson blacks	310 (38)	58 (54)
Stroke event
Incident	682 (83)	98 (91)	.04
Recurrent	139 (17)	10 (9)
Onset to brain imaging
<24 hours	515 (70)	84 (82)	.005
≥24 hours	225 (30)	18 (18)
Mean length of stay (95% CI)	9.6 (8.9, 10.4)	13.0 (10.4, 15.6)
Current drinker	378 (46.8)	53 (50)	.60
Current smoker	276 (33.7)	41 (38)	.38
Mean cigarette years of smoking (95% CI)	395 (361, 429)	366.4 (277, 455)
Charlson comorbidity score (95% CI)	2.3 (2.3, 2.4)	1.9 (1.7, 2.1)
Death within 28 days	52 (6.3)	38 (35)	<.0001
Event year
1987–1994	187 (22.8)	34 (31)	.11
1995–1998	224 (27.3)	32 (30)
1999–2001	204 (24.9)	23 (21)
2002–2004	206 (25.0)	19 (18)

* Weekend defined as any arrival time from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday.
^†Two-sided chi-squared test of equal proportions.