Abstract
BackgroundThe survivors of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) or stroke are often left with several mental and physical disabilities which create a major social and economic burden. However, research addressing the risk factors of CVA and transient ischemic attacks (TIA), and their complications are insufficient. Aim of the studyTo assess the CVA and TIA risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus type 2, dyslipidemia, coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, obesity, hypercoagulopathy, anti-platelet and anticoagulant use, carotid artery stenosis, and hypothyroidism) and complications (pneumonia, urinary tract infection and deep venous thrombosis) among a sample of elderly patients compared to non-elderly adult patients receiving care at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia.MethodsA retrospective observational study was conducted at King Fahd Hospital of the University in Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. Multiple risk factors and complications of CVA and TIA were retrieved from the medical records of the studied patients that fulfilled the inclusion criteria of patients diagnosed with CVA and TIA aged ≥ 60 years (elderly sample) and 18-59 years old (comparison non-elderly sample), who were followed up by internal medicine, neurology, and geriatric medicine departments. The total participant size was 259 patients, of which 149 were elderly.ResultsThe occurrence of risk factors was more common in the senior age group. Hypertension was the most frequent risk factor in both age groups, while dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and obesity were significantly associated with the development of CVA and TIA in the elderly. Moreover, post-CVA and TIA complications were more frequent in the group with elderly patients, with urinary tract infections being the most reported complication.ConclusionThis study concluded that the most frequent risk factors were hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. The findings of this study call for providing extra preventive care for elderly patients with dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and obesity, and for more aggressive prevention of post-CVA and TIA complications in older age groups.
Highlights
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke can be defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria as the sudden focal or global development of neurological deficit for more than 24 hours or leading to death without a clear cause other than a vascular origin [1]
Hypertension was the most frequent risk factor in both age groups, while dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and obesity were significantly associated with the development of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) and transient ischemic attacks (TIA) in the elderly
With respect to the significant risk factors associated with stroke and TIA in the elderly age groups (Table 3), our analysis showed that dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and obesity were statistically significant, (p
Summary
Cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or stroke can be defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) criteria as the sudden focal or global development of neurological deficit for more than 24 hours or leading to death without a clear cause other than a vascular origin [1]. It is classified into two main types: ischemic and hemorrhagic, where transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a transient episode of neurologic dysfunction. According to the Global Burden of Disease Stroke Statistics Worldwide for the year 2016, there are 13.7 million new cases of stroke with a prevalence of 80.1 million cases. Research addressing the risk factors of CVA and transient ischemic attacks (TIA), and their complications are insufficient
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