[Effects and trends of stroke and life expectancy among older adults--from 1990s to 2000s].

Objective: To explore the experience of stroke influencing the life expectancy (LE), active life expectancy (ALE), inactive life expectancy (IALE), and the trend of life expectancy among older adults, from 1990s to 2000s in Beijing, China.

Methods: A representative sample of 3257 elderly people living in urban or rural communities in Beijing were followed up from 1990 until 2004. Their health and survival status had been surveyed every 3-5 years. Activity Daily Living (ADL) scale, recommended by WHO was used to evaluate the physical function capability of the elderly. SAS was used to estimate LE, ALE and IALE for both periods of 1992-1997 and 2000-2004 by age and by areas of residency (rural or urban).

Results: LE and ALE were shorter, and IALE was longer, among the elderly with stroke than those without stroke at all age groups. Functional status at baseline was also a very important factor in determining ALE and IALE. For those active at baseline, ALE in the elderly with stroke was shorter than those without. There were no differences found in IALE between those with or without stroke, but ALE was longer than IALE. For the elderly with stroke and inactive at baseline, their IALE were longer than ALE and their ALE were at low levels in all age groups. Among those with stroke and living in urban, their LE and ALE were longer than those living in the rural area. When comparing with the period of 1992-1997, both LE and ALE increased during the period of 2000-2004 in all the elderly groups, both in urban and rural areas. The largest increment occurred among those with stroke who originated in an inactive state.

Conclusion: Stroke reduced both quality and quantity of life of the elderly. The reductions of LE and ALE were greater among the elderly with stroke in rural than in urban areas. Both LE and ALE increased from 1992-1997 to 2000-2004 among the elderly with stroke in both urban and rural areas.