Predictive Clinical Factors of In-Hospital Mortality in Women Aged 85 Years or More with Acute Ischemic Stroke

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> There are limited data on the outcome of acute ischemic stroke in oldest old women. We assessed clinical risk factors for in-hospital mortality in women aged 85 years or more with acute ischemic stroke. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This single-center retrospective cohort study included 506 women aged ≥85 years collected from a total of 4,600 patients with acute cerebral infarction registered in an ongoing 24-year hospital stroke database. The identification of clinical risk factors for in-hospital mortality was the primary endpoint of the study. <b><i>Results:</i></b> The mean (± standard deviation) age of the patients was 88.6 ± 3.2 years. Stroke subtypes were cardioembolic infarcts in 37.7% of patients, atherothrombotic infarcts in 30.8%, infarcts of unknown cause and lacunar infarcts in 26.1% each, and infarcts of unusual cause in 11.5%. The in-hospital mortality rate was 20.4% (<i>n</i> = 103). Cardioembolic infarct accounted for 67% of all deaths (<i>n</i> = 69). Sudden stroke onset (OR 1.87, 95% CI 1.14–3.06), altered consciousness (OR 7.05, 95% CI 4.36–11.38), and neurological, cardiac, respiratory, and hemorrhagic events during hospitalization were independent risk factors for death, whereas lacunar infarction was a protective factor (OR 0.10, 95% CI 0.01–0.82). <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The oldest old age segment of women with acute ischemic infarction is a subgroup of stroke patients with unfavorable prognosis and high in-hospital mortality associated with sudden stroke onset, altered consciousness, and medical complications developed during hospitalization. Lacunar infarction as stroke subtype showed a favorable prognosis.