Sleep disorderd breathing and recurrence of cerebrovascular events, case-fatality, and functional outcome in patients with ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack.

Ninety one patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) were screened for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Case fatality, rate of recurrence of cerebrovascular events, and functional outcome were analyzed during a 2-year follow-up. The patients were stratified into groups: without (AH < or =5) and with SDB (AHI >5). SDB was present in 61 (67.7%) patients with stroke or TIA. The rate of recurrence of TIA or stroke in patients with SDB was significantly higher (12 patients, OR=1.52, P<0.05) as compared with patients without SDB (3 patients) within two years of observation. Case-fatality rates were not significantly different (4 patients with SDB and 2 patients without SDB). Our data show that SDB significantly increases the incidence of recurrent cerebrovascular events in patients with TIA or stroke in a two-year follow-up. SDB in patient with stroke or TIA did not influence functional outcome of stroke during the long-term observation.