A new study warns that people who suffer a stroke may be able to recover initially, but a new study finds they are likely to become dependent on someone else over the next five years.
Researchers at Columbia University studied data collected on 525 stroke patients. The patients were tested on their ability to conduct regular activities six months after their stroke, and then every year for five years.
They found the odds of having a full recovery dropped by nine percent every year. A patients' insurance status played a major role.
Those who were uninsured or covered by Medicaid were significantly more likely to lose function over time. Gender and race did not play a role.
Patients were more likely to be disabled if they were older at the time of the stroke, had diabetes, were unmarried, had a more severe stroke, had a right-sided stroke, or had urinary incontinence within a week of the stroke. However, experts adjusted for these factors and still found a decline in functional status.
