Late-Life Incident Stroke in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study: Cause and Prediction

BACKGROUND: As life expectancy rises, identifying causes and risk factors for incident acute ischemic stroke (AIS) among the oldest-old (≥80 years) is increasingly important. We examined whether the effect of age at stroke on AIS subtype is mediated by embolic risk factors and whether these factors improve AIS prediction. METHODS: -VASc) and compared preinclusion and postinclusion of embolic risk factors. RESULTS: -VASc: C statistics, 0.63 [95% CI, 0.59-0.67]). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that identification and control of embolic risk factors are critical to reduce stroke risk as people age, and better stroke-specific prediction tools are needed.