engleski

Occurrence and tendencies of important risk factors in patients with acute stroke in Osijek area

Aim: The aim of this research was to investigate differences in frequency of important risk factors in patients suffering from stroke in Osijek area in years 2004 and 2009, differences in their distribution according to type and subtype of stroke, and what knowledge on presence of risk factors did patients have. Methods: A group of 130 patients suffering from acute stroke in 2004 was compared to a group of 100 patients with same disease in 2009. Stroke was classified as hemorrhagic stroke (intracerebral haemorrhage and subarachnoid haemorrhage) and ischemic stroke (divided into subtypes according to TOAST classification). Presence of risk factors (hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, myocardiopathy and smoking) was analyzed. Results: Average age of acute stroke patients increased from 67.3 in 2004 to 70.5 in 2009. Frequency of arterial hypertension increased from 86% to 91%. Frequency of hyperlipidemia, diabetes and atrial fibrillation also increased, while frequency of smoking and myocardiopathy decreased. In 2009 group significant differences in the distribution of atrial fibrillation and myocardiopathy according to subtypes were found. Also, there were significant differences between the actual presence of hyperlipidemia and atrial fibrillation and the patients’ awareness of them. Conclusion: Arterial hypertension remains the most frequent risk factor for stroke. Awareness about the presence of arterial hypertension and diabetes in stroke patients is high, but not about hyperlipidemia and atrial fibrillation. These results emphasize the need for increased activity in the field of primary and secondary prevention of stroke, and a possible review of diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Brain Infarction; Cerebral Hemorrhage; Hypertension; Epidemiology

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