SAN DIEGO – Only 6% of 162 stroke survivors underwent a formal driving evaluation, but 51% returned to driving within a year, a survey found.
Among the 83 who returned to driving, 9 (11%) did so despite reporting that their stroke greatly affected their ability to "engage in valued life activities," Dr. Shelly D. Ozark reported in a poster presentation at the International Stroke Conference.
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Only 6% of 162 stroke survivors underwent a formal driving evaluation, but 51% returned to driving within a year, the survey found.
Twenty-six (31%) of the 83 drivers said their stroke had some effect on their ability to engage in valued life activities, and 48 drivers (58%) said the stroke did not affect that part of their lives.
Formal driving evaluations were completed by 2 of the 9 stroke survivors who returned to driving despite great effects from the stroke, 3 of 26 drivers who reported some effects, and 4 of 48 drivers who reported no effects of the stroke on their abilities to engage in valued life activities, reported Dr. Ozark of the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston.
Forty-nine (59%) of the 83 drivers returned to driving less than a month after their stroke, 21 (25%) resumed driving 1-3 months after their stroke, and 13 (16%) resumed driving more than 3 months post stroke, the investigators reported at the meeting, sponsored by the American Heart Association.
Thirty-eight (46%) of the 83 drivers said they had self-imposed limits on their driving. This included 17 (35%) of the 48 drivers who reported no effects of the stroke on valued life activities. It is unclear whether a formal driving evaluation would have supported their decision to limit driving, Dr. Ozark noted. Self-imposed driving limits also were reported by 16 of 26 drivers who experienced some effects of the stroke and 5 of 9 drivers who reported great effects of the stroke on their ability to engage in valued life activities.
The study was a secondary analysis of a subset of data from the longitudinal surveys of the Stroke Education and Prevention - South Carolina Project.
Dr. Ozark reported having no relevant financial disclosures.
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