MedWire News: Stroke patients who have recovered enough after 6 months to take care of themselves independently are more likely to live longer than those who still need help with their daily tasks at this time, researchers have found.

Dr Karsten Bruins Slot, from Ullevaal University Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and colleagues studied data on more than 7700 people who participated in stroke studies between 1981 and 2000.

The team found that patients who were living independently 6 months after their stroke had a life expectancy that was 3 years greater than those who needed assistance with their daily lives at 6 months.

Indeed, patients who were living independently at 6 months lived for an average of 9.7 years after suffering a stroke, compared with 6 years among those who still needed help at 6 months.

The findings remained true after taking into account factors such as the age of each participant.

Dr Slot and team conclude: "Functional status 6 months after a... stroke is associated with long-term survival."

They add: "Early interventions that reduce dependency at 6 months might have positive effects on long-term survival."

The research is published in an advance online issue of the British Medical Journal.