Incidence of post-stroke cognitive impairment in patients with first-ever ischemic stroke: a multicenter cross-sectional study in China

Background: Post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) is a common sequela after stroke. China has a large population of stroke survivors, but a large-scale survey on the incidence and risk factors for PSCI has not been undertaken. We aimed to calculate the incidence and risk factors for vascular cognitive symptoms among first-ever stroke survivors in China through a multicenter cross-sectional study. Methods: From May 1, 2019 to November 30, 2019, patients with a clinical diagnosis of first-ever ischemic stroke were recruited from 563 hospitalized-based stroke center networks in 30 provinces of China. Cognitive impairment was measured by 5-min National Institute of Neurological Disease and Stroke-Canadian Stroke Network (NINDS-CSN) at 3–6 months after the indexed stroke. Stepwise multivariate regression and stratified analysis were performed to assess the association between PSCI and demographic variables. Findings: A total of 24,055 first-ever ischemic stroke patients were enrolled, with an average age of 70.25 ± 9.88 years. The incidence of PSCI as per the 5-min NINDS-CSN was 78.7%. Age ≥75 years old (OR: 1.887, 95%CI: 1.391–2.559), western regional residence (OR: 1.620, 95%CI: 1.411–1.860) and lower education level were associated with increased PSCI risk. Hypertension might be related to non-PSCI (OR: 0.832, 95%CI: 0.779–0.888). For patients under 45 years old, unemployment was an independent risk factor for PSCI (OR: 6.097, 95%CI: 1.385–26.830). For patients who were residents of the southern region (OR: 1.490, 95%CI: 1.185–1.873) and non-manual workers (OR: 2.122, 95%CI: 1.188–3.792), diabetes was related to PSCI. Interpretation: PSCI is common in Chinese patients with first-ever stroke, and many risk factors are related to the occurrence of PSCI. Funding: The Beijing Hospitals Authority Youth Program (No. QMS20200801); Youth Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81801142); the Key Project of Science and Technology Development of China Railway Corporation (No. K2019Z005); The Capital Health Research and Development of Special (No. 2020-2-2014); Science and Technology Innovation 2030-Major Project (No. 2021ZD0201806).