ABSTRACT
Data was analyzed retrospectively of a ten year period at the Neurology clinic in Sarajevo, with regards to the treatment of patients with acute cerebrovascular accident (CVA or stroke). The whole period has been divided into three segments: a) pre-war period 01.01.1990-05.04.1992, b) the war period 06.04.1992-15.12.1995, and c) post-war period 16.12.1995-31.12.1999. There has been the total of 6,255 patients with a completed stroke, while the patients with transitory ischemic attacks were not involved in the study. General mortality from stroke rose considerably during the war, the rate is somewhat reduced post-war, but not as low as pre-war (35%, 48%, 38% respectively). During the war there was a greater number of patients with intracerebral haemorrhage compared to the atherothrombotic brain infarction group, but the relationship changed after the war in favor of the latter. No difference in sex structure was noticed in the observed three periods. During the war, there was 0 minor increase in the percentage of patients in the 51-60 years age group, but after the war there was a remarkable increase in the 70+ age group. As far as risk factors are concerned, we have traced a marked raise in rates of the hypertension and cardiopathy during the war, with a lower frequency of diabetes. The first two risk factors have kept the same trend post-war, and diabetes returned to the its approximately pre-war level. All changes described here are pointing towards a remarkable influence of war activities on morbidity and mortality of the cerebrovascular accident, where the rates are slowly and incompletely returning to its pre war levels.
