Table 1.
Characteristics of acute stroke patients.
| Items | Control group (N = 55) | EMR group (N = 55) | P value |
| Basic characteristics | |||
| Age (yr), mean ± SD | 68.4 ± 9.7 | 67.4 ± 9.5 | .584 |
| Sex, No. (%) | .313 | ||
| Female | 16 (29.1) | 21 (38.2) | |
| Male | 39 (70.9) | 34 (61.8) | |
| Current smoker, No. (%) | .654 | ||
| No | 41 (74.5) | 43 (78.2) | |
| Yes | 14 (25.5) | 12 (21.8) | |
| Education duration (years), mean ± SD | 7.0 ± 4.5 | 7.4 ± 3.4 | .600 |
| Marry status, No. (%) | .703 | ||
| Single/divorced/widowed | 26 (47.3) | 28 (50.9) | |
| Married | 29 (52.7) | 27 (49.1) | |
| Employment status before admission, No. (%) | .221 | ||
| Unemployed | 47 (85.5) | 51 (92.7) | |
| Employed | 8 (14.5) | 4 (7.3) | |
| Common complications | |||
| Hypertension, No. (%) | .606 | ||
| No | 10 (18.2) | 8 (14.5) | |
| Yes | 45 (81.8) | 47 (85.5) | |
| Hyperlipidemia, No. (%) | .550 | ||
| No | 21 (38.2) | 18 (32.7) | |
| Yes | 34 (61.8) | 37 (67.3) | |
| Diabetes, No. (%) | .539 | ||
| No | 39 (70.9) | 36 (65.5) | |
| Yes | 16 (29.1) | 19 (34.5) | |
| Disease features | |||
| Lesion location, No. (%) | .483 | ||
| Left | 19 (34.5) | 22 (40.0) | |
| Right | 22 (40.0) | 16 (29.1) | |
| Bilateral/brainstem/unknown | 14 (25.5) | 17 (30.9) | |
| NIHSS score, mean ± SD | 8.7 ± 4.1 | 8.1 ± 2.7 | .369 |
| MMSE score, mean ± SD | 26.7 ± 2.3 | 26.5 ± 2.0 | .182 |
Comparison was determined by Student t test or Chi-square test. EMR = education and muscle relaxation, MMSE = mini-mental state examination, NIHSS = National Institute of Health stroke scale, SD = standard deviation.