Stroke is one of the leading causes of physical impairment and mortality worldwide. Optimizing preventive strategies will help decrease the burden of stroke. The objectives of this study were to determine common stroke risk factors, by analyzing a comprehensive panel of variables in our local population.
200 patients were consecutively enrolled in this prospective observational study at stroke unit (SU) of Bolan Medical Complex Hospital over 6 months from March 2019 to August 2019. Structured questionnaires were prepared History and clinical examination were performed to gather relevant information. CT scan of brain was done to confirm the diagnosis of stroke. Other necessary tests were run.
A total of 200 patients were included in the study, of which 98 (49%) were males and 102 (51%) were females. Vascular risk factors were present in 182 patients (91%), of which the most common was hypertension in 121 patients (60.5%) followed by smoking in 89 patients (44.5%), diabetes in 62 patients (31%) and obesity in 58 patients (29%). Dyslipidaemia was present in 17 patients (8.5%), cardiac disease 14 patients (7.0%), ischemic heart diseases in 7 (3-5%), arterial fibrillation in 5 (2.5) and 5 (2.5) had a family history of stroke.
Hypertension was the most common stroke identified in this study, likely because of the great pervasiveness of this disease in our region. This study also highlights the prevalence of other vascular risk factors including smoking, diabetes mellitis, obesity, dyslipidaemia, and ischemic heart diseases in our community, which are associated with poor physical activity, low income, and poor health awareness. We suggest numerous community-based awareness programs in Baluchistan to improve local area perception about stroke and its risk factors