Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My Articles & Searches Download to citation manager Citing Articles via Google Scholar Articles by Schuitemaker, G.E. Articles by Appels, A. Search for Related Content PubMed Citation Articles by Schuitemaker, G.E. Articles by Appels, A. Stroke

Vital Exhaustion as a Risk Indicator for First Stroke

Received Nov. 5, 2002; revision received April 22, 2003; accepted May 15, 2003. From the Department of General Practice, the Care and Public Health Research Institute, and the Department of Medical Psychology, University of Maastricht. Address reprint requests to Dr. Dinant, Department of General Practice, University of Maastricht, the Netherlands; geertjan.dinant{at}hag.unimaas.nl (e-mail).

Fatigue is a common condition after stroke. An unresolved question is whether the fatigue is a consequence of the stroke or is one of the precursors. The authors' objective was to investigate whether vital exhaustion is a precursor of first stroke while controlling for other cardiovascular risk factors. The design was a prospective cohort study. Vital exhaustion was diagnosed with the Maastricht Interview Vital Exhaustion scale. The authors controlled for age, gender, diabetes mellitus, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, body mass index, and smoking habits as possible confounders. Data were analyzed with Cox regression analysis. The subjects were adults ages 41–66 in an average Dutch village population. Outcome measures included first stroke. Vital exhaustion increased the risk of stroke by 13% per vital exhaustion point on the Maastricht Interview Vital Exhaustion scale. This value remained statistically significant after control for other risk factors. Total cholesterol, diastolic blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, and smoking also increased the risk of stroke significantly. A state of exhaustion is one of the risk indicators for stroke. This means that the fatigue so often seen after stroke was already experienced by many patients before the occurrence of the stroke.

Get information about faster international access.

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2004 Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine. All rights reserved.

Home | Search | Current Issue | Past Issues | Subscribe | All APPI Journals | Help | Contact Us