Risk factors for stroke in erbil city: a case-control study

ABSTRACT

Stroke is a worldwide health problem. This study was carried out to find out the risk factors associated with stroke in Erbil city. A hospital based case-control study was carried out in Erbil city from January, 1[st] 2009 to June, 30[th] 2009. The sample included [173 cases and 173 controls] cases admitted to Erbil teaching hospitals with first-ever stroke diagnosed by the consultant internist or neurologists and confirmed by brain CT-scan. Sex and age-matched [ +/- 5 years] patients admitted to the same hospital, who do not have stroke, were taken as a control group. The mean +/- SD ages of cases and controls were 62.2 +/- 13.4 and 61.54 +/- 13.16 years, respectively with a male female ratio of 1.11. Nearly 70% were ischaemic and 30% were haemorrhagic. A slightly more than half [51.45%] of strokes occurred in the 7[th] and 8[th] decades of life. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed statistically significant association between smoking [P<0.001], exercise [P<0.001], hypertension [P=0.001], family history of stroke [P=0.004], BMI [P=0.012] and PCV% [P<0.001] with stroke. However multiple logistic regressions of risk factors for ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes separately revealed that diabetes was significantly associated with ischaemic stroke [P=0.025] while body mass index was significantly associated with haemorrhagic stroke [P=0.001]. Majority of stroke patients were of older age. The most frequent risk factor among stroke cases were lack of exercise, overweight and obesity and hypertension