Prevalence of stroke and transient ischemic attack in Korean elders: findings from the Korean Longitudinal Study on Health and Aging (KLoSHA).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Studies on the epidemiology of stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are very limited in Asian elderly populations. We investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and neuropsychiatric comorbidities of stroke and TIA in community-dwelling Korean elders. METHODS Standardized face-to-face interviews, neurological examinations, and physical examinations were conducted in 714 randomly sampled community-dwelling Korean elders aged >or=65 years. Diagnoses of stroke and TIA were made according to the World Health Organization criteria. RESULTS Age- and education-standardized prevalences of stroke, TIA, and cerebrovascular disorder (implying stroke or TIA) were estimated to be 10.1%, 8.9%, and 15.4%, respectively, in Korean elders. Hypertension and current smoking were associated with the risk of stroke, whereas atrial fibrillation, high diastolic blood pressure, high serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and hypertension were associated with the risk of TIA. Cerebrovascular disorder was associated with the risk of major depressive disorder, vascular dementia, and nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Prevalences of stroke and TIA in Korean elders were higher than in white elders. Stroke and TIA were associated with increased risk of depression and cognitive disorders.