Population aging raises questions about extending treatment indications in elderly patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We therefore assessed functional status 1 year after treatment.

This study involved 310 patients, aged over 70 years, with ruptured brain aneurysm, enrolled between 2008 and 2014 in a prospective multicentre trial (FASHE study: NCT00692744) but considered unsuitable for randomisation and therefore analysed in the observational arms of the study: endovascular occlusion (EV), microsurgical exclusion (MS) and conservative treatment. The aims were to assess independence, cognition, autonomy and quality of life (QOL) at 1 year post-treatment, using questionnaires (MMSE, ADLI, IADL, EORTC-QLQ-C30) filled in by independent nurses after discharge.

The 310 patients received the following treatments: 208 underwent EV (67.1%), 54 MS (17.4%) and 48 were conservatively managed (15.5%). At 1 year, independence rates for patients admitted with good clinical status (WFNS I-III) were, according to the aneurysm exclusion procedure (EV, MS or conservative), 58.9%, 50% and 12.1% respectively. MMSE score was pathological in 26 of the 112 EV patients (23.2%), 10 of the 25 MS patients (40%) and 4 of the 9 patients treated conservatively (44%), without any statistically significant difference [Pearson's Chi² test, F ratio=4.29; P=0.11]. Regarding QoL, overall score was similar between the EV and MS cohorts, but significantly lower with conservative treatment.

Elderly patients in good clinical condition with aSAH should be treated regardless of associated comorbidities. Curative treatment (EV or MS) reduced mortality without increasing dependence, in comparison with conservative treatment.