The individual and combined impacts of pre-existing diabetes and dementia on ischemic stroke outcomes: a registry-based cohort study.

Background: Individually, diabetes mellitus and dementia are associated with poorer outcomes after stroke. However, the combined impact of these pre-existing factors on acute ischemic stroke (AIS) outcomes has not been examined.

Methods: All consecutive patients with AIS admitted to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals between 2003 and 2016 (catchment population ~ 900,000) were divided into four groups: those with neither diabetes nor dementia (reference), with diabetes without dementia, with dementia without diabetes, and with both co-morbidities.