[Relationship between living arrangements and stroke in Sano-Kosei General Hospital].

We retrospectively reviewed the relationship between living arrangements and stroke in Sano-Kosei General Hospital, for the 3-year period from December, 2007 to November, 2010. The proportion of live-alone among stroke patients was 14.9% (131/877). The indirect standardized live-alone ratio (95% confidence interval), compared with Sano city's live-alone ratio as a standard group, was 1.34 (1.13-1.60). Among live-alone patients with stroke, sex ratio showed no significant difference (p=0.46). Comparing live-alones with non-live-alones in stroke patients, the mean age of live-alones was younger for men, but older for women (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between living arrangements and diseases risk factors. However, on the point of the mean number of risk factors, live-alones tended to have more risk factors than non-live-alones (p=0.032). Therefore, living arrangements are considered as an important factor for prevention of stroke.