Muhammad Ashraf, Sadaf Shehzad.
Cerebrovasular accident: diurnal variations in its onset.
Professional Med J Jan ;8(2):268-73.

Several studies performed worldwide have shown a diurnal variation of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) onset. OBJECTIVE: To assess the diurnal variations of CVA onset in our setup. DESIGN: Prospective study. SETTING: Allied and Divisional Headquarter (DHQ) Hospitals, Faisalabad. PERIOD: July 2000 to December 2000. PATIENTS & METHODS: All the stroke patients admitted during this period were studied especially for the time of onset of a stroke. RESULTS: Time frame was divided into four 6 hourly groups. Highest number of stroke onset was found in time period between 6:00 hours to 12:00 hours group (224 out of 641, 34.94%). Major risk factors were uncontrolled diabetes mellitus, hypertension and smoking in our setup. CONCLUSION: The onset of CVA is more common in early to late morning hours. Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and hypertension should be controlled properly to avoid the catastrophe of stroke.

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