Open AccessSmoking Status and Functional Outcomes in Young Stroke
Author(s) -
ChengLoong Liang,
HanJung Chen,
YiChe Lee,
Cheng-Chun Wu,
ChonHaw Tsai,
PoLin Chen,
WeiLun Chang,
Po-Yen Yeh,
ChengYu Wei,
Ming-Jun Tsai,
Yu Sun,
ChihHao Lin,
JiunnTay Lee,
TaChang Lai,
LiMing Lien,
MeiChen Lin,
ChengLi Lin,
HaoKuang Wang,
Chung Y. Hsu
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
frontiers in neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.23
H-Index - 67
ISSN - 1664-2295
DOI - 10.3389/fneur.2021.658582
Subject(s) - medicine , stroke (engine) , odds ratio , confidence interval , etiology , young adult , smoking cessation , physical therapy , proportional hazards model , cigarette smoking , pediatrics , mechanical engineering , pathology , engineering
Objective: Stroke in young adults is uncommon, and the etiologies and risk factors of stroke in young adults differ from those in older populations. Smoker's paradox is an unexpected favorable outcome, and age difference is used to explain the association between smoking and the favorable functional outcome. This study aimed to investigate the existence of this phenomenon in young stroke patients. Methods: We analyzed a total of 9,087 young stroke cases registered in the nationwide stroke registry system of Taiwan between 2006 and 2016. Smoking criteria included having a current history of smoking more than one cigarette per day for more than 6 months. After matching for sex and age, a Cox model was used to compare mortality and function outcomes between smokers and non-smokers. Results: Compared with the non-smoker group, smoking was associated with older age, higher comorbidities, and higher alcohol consumption. Patients who report smoking with National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores of 11–15 had a worse functional outcome (adjusted odds ratio, 0.81; 95% confidence interval, 0.76 – 0.87). Conclusion: Smokers had a higher risk of unfavorable functional outcomes at 3 months after stroke, and therefore, we continue to strongly advocate the importance of smoking cessation.