Background: Information regarding long-term survival after stroke in many countries is scarce.
Objectives: To both assess 5 year survival after stroke in the Israeli population and determine its independent prognostic factors.
Methods: We followed 616 people with acute stroke who were admitted consecutively to seven large general hospitals in Israel. The data were collected on admission to the hospital, at discharge, at 3, 6 and 12 months thereafter, and 5 years after the stroke.
Results: The 5 year cumulative probability of survival was 49.2% (95% CI 45.0–53.7%). In the multivariate Cox analysis, lower age and functioning independently before the event were associated with a lower risk of death, while other demographic characteristics and cardiovascular risk factors were not found to be associated with mortality.
Conclusions: Five year survival after stroke in Israel, though high, is similar to other western countries. There is a need to ensure early, active and sustained implementation of strategies for preventing stroke events.