Salma N Khan, Ejaz Ahmed Vohra.
Risk factors for stroke: A hospital based study.
Pak J Med Sci Jan ;23(1):17-22.

Objective: Stroke is the commonest neurological cause of morbidity and mortality all over the world being the third leading cause of death. The goal of this study was to ascertain the frequency of risk factors for first ever stroke in our patients. Patients and Methods: This prospective study included all patients of either sex, 20 to 70 years and above admitted in Dr. Ziauddin Medical University Hospital, North Nazimabad Campus, Karachi, with first ever stroke verified by CT scan brain during a period of one year. Results: Data analysis showed that 70.1% had cerebral infarction and 29.9% cerebral hemorrhage. The mean age at presentation was 62 years and male to female ratio 1.05:1.The most frequent risk factors included hypertension 65.8%, smoking 43%, diabetes mellitus 41.3%, underlying cardiac diseases 29.1%, family history of stroke/transient ischemic attack in the first-degree relatives 26.7%, high cholesterol 25.5%, history of past transient ischemic attack 24.9% and significant extracranial carotid atherosclerosis in 18.18%. In-hospital mortality was 11.7%. At 30-day follow up 22.27% of all stroke survivors were functionally independent. This study suggested that diabetes mellitus was more and underlying cardiac diseases less frequent in our patients than in the western reported series. Cerebral hemorrhage was relatively morecommon and the mean age at presentation was lesser compared to those in the developed countries. Conclusion: Stroke patients consume a large part of health resources all over the world so accurate information about the incidence, risk factors, management and outcome is needed for planning medico-social services besides primary and secondary stroke prevention in the community.

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