Abstract

Background: Age is a non-modifiable risk factor for stroke occurrence due its influence on vascular risk factor acquisition. In sub-Saharan Africa, the effect sizes of vascular risk factors for stroke occurrence by age is unknown. Objective: To quantify the magnitude and direction of the effect sizes of key modifiable risk factors of stroke according to three age groups: <50years(young), 50-65 years(middle age) and >65 years(elderly) in West Africa. Methods: The Stroke Investigative Research and Educational Network (SIREN) is a multicenter, case-control study involving 15 sites in Ghana and Nigeria. Cases include adults aged ≥18 years with evidence of an acute stroke. Controls were age-and-gender matched stroke-free adults. Detailed evaluations for vascular, lifestyle, stroke severity and outcomes were performed. We used conditional logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of vascular risk factors of stroke. Results: Among 3,553 stroke cases, 813(22.9%) were young, 1441(40.6%) were middle-aged and 1299(36.6%) were elderly. Five modifiable risk factors were consistently associated with stroke occurrence regardless of age namely hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, regular meat consumption and non-consumption of green vegetables. Among the 5 co-shared risk factors, the effect size, aOR(95%CI) of dyslipidemia, 4.13(2.64-6.46), was highest among the young age group, hypertension, 28.93(15.10-55.44) and non-consumption of vegetables 2.34(1.70-3.23) was highest among the middle-age group while diabetes, aOR of 3.50(2.48-4.95) and meat consumption, 2.40(1.76-3.26) were highest among the elderly age group. Additionally, among the young age group cigarette smoking and cardiac disease were associated with stroke. Furthermore, physical inactivity and salt intake were associated with stroke in the middle-age group while cardiac disease was associated with stroke in the elderly age group. Conclusions: Age has a profound influence on the profile, magnitude and direction of effect sizes of vascular risk factors for stroke occurrence among West Africans. Population-level prevention of stroke must target both co-shared dominant risk factors as well as factors that are unique to specific age bands in Africa.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.