ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Stroke in the young is particularly tragic because of its potential to create a long-term burden on the victims, their families, and the community. There had been relatively few studies on young stroke in Kerala's socio-economic setup, that too encapsulating the mentioned apparently relevant dimensions of stroke in the young. OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence, patterns and risk factors of young stroke. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: A cross-sectional study with case control comparison at Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. MATERIALS AND AND METHODS: Total 100 stroke patients were identified over a period of 2 months, and data were collected on the basis of questionnaire developed for the purpose. RESULTS: Of 100 stroke patients, 15 had stroke in the young, among which 9 (60%) had ishaemic stroke. Hypertension was the most common risk factor. Smoking, alcohol, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia were found to be more common in cases (young stroke) when compared with controls. Alcohol use and atrial fibrillation were significantly higher among young stroke patients. Physical inactivity was significantly lesser in those with stroke in the young than elderly. Atrial fibrillation emerged as an independent risk factor of stroke in the young with adjusted odds ratio of 6.18 (1.31-29.21). CONCLUSION: In all, 15% of total stroke occurred in young adults <50 years. The proportion of hemorrhagic stroke in young adults is higher than in elderly. Atrial fibrillation is identified as an independent risk factor of stroke in the young. Compared with stroke in elderly alcohol use, smoking, hyperlipidemia, and cardiac diseases, which are known risk factors, are higher in young stroke.
