A prospective study of acute cerebrovascular disease in the community: the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project 1981-86. 1. Methodology, demography and incident cases of first-ever stroke.

• DOI: 10.1136/jnnp.51.11.1373
• Publication Date: 2008-11-10T21:16:40Z
• Authors: J Bamford; P Sandercock; M Dennis; C Warlow; L Jones; K McPherson; M Vessey; G Fowler; A Molyneux; T Hughes
• Keywords: Stroke; Record Linkage

A prospective study of acute cerebrovascular disease in a community about 105,000 people is reported. The protocol combined rapid clinical assessment patients with accurate diagnosis the pathological type stroke by CT or necropsy, whether not they were admitted to hospital. population was defined as those who registered one 50 collaborating general practitioners (GPs). Referrals primarily from GPs though, ensure complete case ascertainment, hospital casualty and admission registers, death certificates special data Oxford Record Linkage Study also scrutinized. Six hundred seventy five cases clinically definite first-ever lifetime four years yielding crude annual incidence 1.60/1,000 2.00/1,000 when adjusted 1981 England Wales. age sex specific rates for first showed steep rise both sexes. odds male sustaining 26% greater than female. Ninety per cent examined median time days after event neurologist 88% had cerebral necropsy.