Cerebrovascular Risk Factors and Stroke Subtypes in Different Age Groups: A Hospital-Based Study

Authors: GÖKSEL SOMAY, PINAR TOPALOĞLU, HAKAN SOMAY, ÖZLEM ARAAL, GÜLİSTAN UŞAK HALAÇ, MURAT BULKAN

Abstract: We prospectively studied the characteristics of 401 patients with first-ever-in-a lifetime stroke who have been admitted consecutively into stroke care unit. During the evaluation of distribution according to age, patients were divided into 7 age groups with 10-year intervals. It was determined that ischemic stroke was mostly seen in the age group 71-80 (32.2%) and the age group 61-70(28.2%). The major risk factor of ischemic stroke was hypertension, followed by diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, smoking and hypercholesterolemia. The three most frequent etiologic categories were small-vessel disease, atherosclerotic large vessel disease and cardioembolism. The anatomical distribution of ischemic stroke were made according to the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project. The distribution of patients in term of vascular territories was most frequently seen in lacunar infarction. It was determined that lacunar infarcts were more significant in males whereas posterior circulation infarcts were more significant in females. When the distribution of vascular territories was evaluated in terms of risk factors, it was seen that hypertension and ischemic heart diseases were significant in total anterior circulation infarcts, and transient ischemic attack was significant in posterior circulation infarcts.

Keywords: Stroke, age groups, etiology, vascular territory

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