An Evaluation of Risk Factors for Stroke in Iraqi Patients

Abdul-Razak, Hazim; Shati, Sami

	An Evaluation of Risk Factors for Stroke in Iraqi Patients
IRAQI JOURNALOF COMMUNITY MEDICINE
Article 1, Volume 21, Issue 4, 2008, Pages 320-325
Authors
Hazim Abdul-Razak; Sami Shati
Abstract
Background: Stroke continues to rank among the top of main causes of death throughout the world, stroke is frequently followed by significant disability. Objective: To study the relationship of various suspected risk factors to occurrence of stroke. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included 200 patients with stroke and was examined for evidences of presence of risk factors and followed during their hospital admission, the study was carried out in Yarmouk Teaching hospital from Jan 2006 to Sept 2006. Results: This study showed that age is significantly related to the incidence of stroke, and advancing age (age more than 60 years) showed increased incidence of stroke. Other risk factors included hypertension (HT) detected in 117 patients (55.5%), smoking was detected in 104 patients (52%) , heart diseases were collectively detected in 94 patients (47%) , diabetes mellitus (DM) detected in 60 patients (36.6%) and hypercholesterolemia detected in 50 patients (25%) ,history of previous cerebrovascular accidents 15 patients (7.5%) ,previous transient ischemic attack (TIA) symptoms detected in 10 patients (5%),alcohol consumption was found in 5 patients (2.5%) and polecythemia in 2 patients (1%). Conclusion: Advancing age ,HT, smoking, heart diseases, DM , and hypercholesterolemia are found to be significant risk factors for the occurrence of stroke ,while history of previous CVA ,old TIA symptoms, polecythemia and alcohol consumption were found to be not significant statistically as a predisposing risk factors to stroke Keywords: Risk Factors, Stroke
Keywords
risk factors; Stroke

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