Table 3

Outcomes after ischaemic stroke or TIA by 3-month composite persistence

OutcomesComposite persistenceNEvents，
n (%)		Model 1*Model 2†
Adjusted HR/OR (95% CI)P valueAdjusted HR/OR (95% CI)P value
StrokeLevel I4397134 (3.1)1.00 (Ref)1.00 (Ref)
Level II546480 (1.5)0.49 (0.37 to 0.64)<0.0010.41 (0.31 to 0.54)<0.001
Level III8483101 (1.2)0.40 (0.31 to 0.52)<0.0010.37 (0.28 to 0.48)<0.001
Composite events‡Level I4397159 (3.6)1.00 (Ref)1.00 (Ref)
Level II546497 (1.8)0.50 (0.38 to 0.64)<0.0010.41 (0.32 to 0.53)<0.001
Level III8483125 (1.5)0.42 (0.33 to 0.53)<0.0010.38 (0.30 to 0.49)<0.001
All-cause deathLevel I4397367 (8.4)1.00 (Ref)1.00 (Ref)
Level II5464120 (2.2)0.29 (0.24 to 0.36)<0.0010.28 (0.23 to 0.35)<0.001
Level III8483123 (1.5)0.20 (0.16 to 0.24)<0.0010.20 (0.16 to 0.24)<0.001
Disability (mRS=3–5)Level I3733595 (15.9)1.00 (Ref)1.00 (Ref)
Level II5069704 (13.9)0.93 (0.82 to 1.06)0.260.89 (0.77 to 1.03)0.11
Level III77621022(13.2)0.88 (0.79 to 0.99)0.0260.82 (0.72 to 0.93)0.003

  • Composite persistence was defined as the percentage (0% to 100%) of discharge medication classes that patients were still taking at 3 months. Level I: persistence=0%; level II: 0%<persistence<100%; level III: persistence=100%.

  • HR for stroke, composite events and all-cause death; OR for disability.

  • *Model 1: adjusted for age and sex.

  • †Model 2: adjusted for patient and hospital characteristics, including age, sex, ethnicity, education level, health insurance, family income per month, history of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidaemia, atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, coronary artery disease, previous TIA or stroke, ever smoking and drinking, admission NIHSS score, type of disease, severity of illness at discharge, new stroke within 3 months, hospital grade, region, teaching hospital, stroke unit, hospital beds and number of neurological ward beds.

  • ‡Composite events: stroke, myocardial infarction or death from cardiovascular cause.

  • mRS, modified Rankin Scale; NIHSS, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale; Ref, reference; TIA, transient ischaemic attack.