Table 1 Baseline characteristics of the included patients

Age at stroke, years (mean (±SD))

410

73.6 (±11)

75.0 (±12)

72.5 (±11)

0.003

Living alone (N(%))

410

152 (37.0)

88 (48.0)

64 (28.0)

0.05

Education (mean years(±SD))

410

12.1 (±4)

11.4 (±3)

12.7 (±4)

0.0001

NIHSS at admission (0-42) (mean (±SD))

405

4.1 (±5)^a

4.3 (±5)

3.9 (±5)

0.34

Hemorrhagic stroke (N(%))

395

27 (7.0)

12 (7.0)

15 (7.0)

0.56

Pre-stroke GDS (1-7) (mean (±SD))

407

1.5 (±1)

1.6 (±1)

1.5 (±1)

0.11

Pre-stroke mRS (0-6) (mean (±SD))

408

2.2 (±1)

2.4 (±1)

2.1 (±1)

0.005

TOAST classification (N)

368

368

166

202

0.282^*

Large vessel disease

39 (10.6)

14 (8.3)

25 (12.4)

Cardioembolic disease

84 (22.8)

33 (19.9)

51 (25.3)

Small vessel disease

89 (24.2)

39 (23.5)

50 (24.8)

Other etiology

7 (1.9)

4 (2.4)

3 (1.5)

Undetermined etiology

149 (40.5)

76 (45.8)

73 (36.1)

 Atrial fibrillation (N(%))

407

65 (16.0)

25 (14.0)

40 (18.0)

0.06

 Diabetes (N(%))

407

77 (19.0)

34 (19.0)

43 (19.0)

0.31

 Hypertension (N(%))

410

196 (48.0)

82 (45.0)

114 (50.0)

0.02

 Hypercholesterolemia (N(%))

407

155 (38.1)

61 (33.7)

94 (41.6)

0.103

 Previous stroke (N(%))

410

66 (16.0)

22 (12.0)

44 (19.0)

0.01