Abstract
Ischemic stroke causes death and disability worldwide. Better understanding and controlling factors associated will improve the prevention of the disease. This study reviews records of patients with ischemic stroke in Central Africa. Patients of Bantu ethnicity with clinical diagnosis of stroke and lesion on computed tomography scan from January 2011 to December 2012 were selected. Computed tomographic subtypes of ischemic stroke and factors associated were considered with tropical seasonal variation. Of the 303 first-ever stroke patients (average age 53 years old, range 3- 84 years old; 62% male) were included in the study. The prevalence of computed tomography stroke subtypes was: lacunar infarct (63%) and non lacunar infarct lesion (37%). Silent brain infarct was seen in 9 % of patients. Prevalence of factors associated with ischemic stroke was: age≥60 years old (55%); male gender (63%), chronic and uncontrolled hypertension (54%) and type 2 Diabetes mellitus (11%). A seasonal high prevalence was observed in warmer season (p < 0.05). This study shows a high prevalence of lacunar infarct than non lacunar in Bantu of Central Africa.
Highlights
Stroke in sub-Saharan Africa is a major public health problem, with higher mortality than in developed countries and occurrence at a younger age[1,2,3]
Factors associated with the two subtypes of ischemic stroke were age ≥ 60 years in 167 patients (55%), male gender in 190 patients (63%), chronic and uncontrolled hypertension was found in 188 patients (62%), diabetes mellitus in 33 patients (11%), hypertension associated with diabetes mellitus in 17 patients (5.6%), tobacco smoking in 15 patients (5%), alcohol intake in 22 patients (7%) and rainy season involved for 218 patients (72%) (Table1)
Patients suffering from transient ischemic attacks (TIA) were not included because of the lack of detectable specific lesions based on the computed tomography (CT) scan study; modern resonance magnetic imaging showing brain abnormalities as many as in 50% of patients[17]
Summary
Stroke in sub-Saharan Africa is a major public health problem, with higher mortality than in developed countries and occurrence at a younger age[1,2,3]. This study reviews records of patients with ischemic stroke in Central Africa. Computed tomographic subtypes of ischemic stroke and factors associated were considered with tropical seasonal variation. Results: Of the 303 first-ever stroke patients (average age 53 years old, range 3- 84 years old; 62% male) were included in the study. The prevalence of computed tomography stroke subtypes was: lacunar infarct (63%) and non lacunar infarct lesion (37%). Prevalence of factors associated with ischemic stroke was: age≥60 years old (55%); male gender (63%), chronic and uncontrolled hypertension (54%) and type 2 Diabetes mellitus (11%). Conclusions: This study shows a high prevalence of lacunar infarct than non lacunar in Bantu of Central Africa.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 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 callDisclaimer: 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.
