Stroke: Incidence and pattern in Benghazi, Libya

Stroke in Africa: profile, progress, prospects and priorities

Stroke is a leading cause of disability, dementia and death worldwide. Approximately 70% of deaths from stroke and 87% of stroke-related disability occur in low-income and middle-income countries. At the turn of the century, the most common diseases in Africa were communicable diseases, whereas non-communicable diseases, including stroke, were considered rare, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. However, evidence indicates that, today, Africa could have up to 2-3-fold greater rates of stroke incidence and higher stroke prevalence than western Europe and the USA. In Africa, data published within the past decade show that stroke has an annual incidence rate of up to 316 per 100,000, a prevalence of up to 1,460 per 100,000 and a 3-year fatality rate greater than 80%. Moreover, many Africans have a stroke within the fourth to sixth decades of life, with serious implications for the individual, their family and society. This age profile is particularly important as strokes in younger people tend to result in a greater loss of self-worth and socioeconomic productivity than in older individuals. Emerging insights from research into stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, care and outcomes offer great prospects for tackling the growing burden of stroke on the continent. In this article, we review the unique profile of stroke in Africa and summarize current knowledge on stroke epidemiology, genetics, prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, outcomes, cost of care and awareness. We also discuss knowledge gaps, emerging priorities and future directions of stroke medicine for the more than 1 billion people who live in Africa.

The burden and outcomes of stroke in young adults at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania: a comparison with older adults

Background

Stroke burden in young adults is growing associated with unique risk factors and devastating outcomes. We aimed to investigate the magnitude, risk factors and outcomes of first ever stroke in young adults ≤45 years compared to older adults > 45 years.

Methods

All patients with a World Health Organization clinical definition of stroke at a tertiary hospital in Tanzania were enrolled. The National Institute of Health Stroke Scale and Modified Rankin Scale were used to assess admission stroke severity and outcomes respectively. Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to describe survival and Cox-proportional hazards model was used to examine predictors of fatality.

Results

We enrolled 369 first ever stroke participants over 8 months. First strokes accounted for one quarter of the medical admissions in both younger and older groups, 123/484 {(25.4%) [95% CI 21.5–29.3%]} and 246/919 {(26.8%) [95% CI 23.9–29.6%]} respectively. Hemorrhagic stroke occurred in 47 (42.3%) vs 62 (27.2%) for the young and old respectively p = 0.005. Factors associated with stroke in the young were: a new diagnosis of hypertension in 33 (26.8%) vs 23 (9.3%) p < 0.001, HIV infection 12 (9.8%) vs 7 (2.8%) p = 0.005, use of hormonal contraception in females 33 (48.5%) vs 13 (9.4%) p < 0.001, elevated serum low density lipoproteins 28 (27.7%) vs 29 (16.4%) p = 0.024, hypercholesteremia 34 (31.2%) vs 40 (20.2%), p = 0.031, sickle cell disease 11 (9.7%) vs 9 (4.2%) p = 0.047 and thrombocytosis 12 (16.9%) vs 8 (5.6%) p = 0.007. The overall 30-day fatality rate was 215 (61.3%); 57 (49.1%) vs 158 (67.2%) in the young and old respectively. Independent predictors of fatality were: severe stroke {HR 10.35 (95% CI: 1.397–76.613)}, leukocytosis {HR 2.23 (95% CI: 1.448–3.419)} and fever {HR 1.79 (95% CI: 1.150–2.776)}.

Conclusions

There is a high burden of stroke in young adults that is coupled with a high 30-day fatality rate. Screening and management of hypertension is crucial in the prevention of stroke. More research is needed to identify factors which cause death, allowing the development of sustainable interventions to reduce early post stroke fatality in this group.

Study of Stroke Incidence in the Aseer Region, Southwestern Saudi Arabia

Recent data regarding first-stroke incidence in Saudi Arabia in general and in the Aseer region in particular are scarce and even lacking. The aim of this work was to study the first-time stroke incidence in the Aseer region, southwestern Saudi Arabia. All first-stroke patients admitted to all hospitals in the Aseer region over a one-year period (January through December 2016) were included. Stroke patients outside the Aseer region were excluded from the study. The incidence per 100,000 patients and the concomitant 95% CI (Confidence Intervals) were computed. The present study included 1249 first-time stroke patients and calculated an overall minimal incidence rate of hospitalized first-time stroke of 57.64 per 100,000 persons per year (95% CI: 57.57-57.70). A steady increase was noticed depending on the patients' age, reaching a figure of 851.81 (95% CI: 849.2-854.5) for those patients aged 70 years and more. Overall, the incidence rate for females (48.14; 95% CI: 48.04-48.24) was lower compared to males (65.52; 95% CI: 65.1-66.0). Taking into consideration the expected rise of the elderly because of the prominent medical services provided by the Saudi government, leading to a subsequent change in the horizontal and vertical age distribution structure of the population, an increase in the number of stroke patients is expected. It is suggested to establish a nationwide stroke surveillance system in the Kingdom, with the objective to report, analyze, and maintain an updated overview of the stroke status in Saudi Arabia.

The burden of stroke in Africa: a glance at the present and a glimpse into the future

Objective

Information on the current burden of stroke in Africa is limited. The aim of this review was to comprehensively examine the current and projected burden of stroke in Africa.

Methods

We systematically reviewed the available literature (PubMed and AJOL) from January 1960 and June 2014 on stroke in Africa. Percentage change in age-adjusted stroke incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for African countries between 1990 and 2010 were calculated from the Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) model-derived figures.

Results

Community-based studies revealed an age-standardised annual stroke incidence rate of up to 316 per 100 000 population, and age-standardised prevalence rates of up to 981 per 100 000. Model-based estimates showed significant mean increases in age-standardised stroke incidence. The peculiar factors responsible for the substantial disparities in incidence velocity, ischaemic stroke proportion, mean age and case fatality compared to high-income countries remain unknown.

Conclusions

While the available study data and evidence are limited, the burden of stroke in Africa appears to be increasing.

An estimate of the incidence and prevalence of stroke in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Stroke is increasingly becoming a challenging public health issue in Africa, and the non-availability of data has limited research output and consequently the response to this burden. This study aimed to estimate the incidence and prevalence of stroke in Africa in 2009 towards improved policy response and management of the disease in the region.

METHODS

A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE and Global Health for original population-based or hospital-based studies on stroke was conducted. A random effect meta-analysis was conducted on crude stroke incidence and prevalence rates, and a meta-regression-like epidemiological model was applied on all data points. The fitted curve generated from the model was used to estimate incident cases of stroke and number of stroke survivors in Africa at midpoints of the United Nation population 5-year age groups for the year 2009.

RESULTS

The literature search yielded a total of 1227 studies. 19 studies from 10 African countries were selected. 483 thousand new stroke cases among people aged 15 years or more were estimated in Africa in 2009, equivalent to 81.2 (13.2-94.9)/100,000 person years. A total of 1.89 million stroke survivors among people aged 15 years or more were estimated in Africa in 2009, with a prevalence of 317.3 (314.0-748.2)/100,000 population. Comparable figures for the year 2013 based on the same rates would amount to 535 thousand (87.0-625.3) new stroke cases and 2.09 million (2.06-4.93) stroke survivors, suggesting an increase of 10.8% and 9.6% of incident stroke cases and stroke survivors respectively, attributable to population growth and ageing between 2009 and 2013.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this review suggest the burden of stroke in Africa is high and still increasing. There is need for more research on stroke and other vascular risk factors towards instituting appropriate policy, and effective preventive and management measures.

The cloud stroke unit: 24-hour acute stroke expertise-on-demand

The use of telemedicine, especially as it is relates to telestroke, has significantly expanded over the past one or two decades. The fact that stroke therapy is a time-critical disease process, coupled with the relative paucity of stroke-trained practitioners, makes telestroke an attractive technique of care. The authors' objective was to summarize the evidence that support the reliability of telemedicine for diagnosis and efficacy in acute stroke treatment in collaboration between hospitals in two different countries.

Frequency and clinical patterns of stroke in Iran - Systematic and critical review

Background

Cerebrovascular disease is the second commonest cause of death, and over a third of stroke deaths occur in developing countries. To fulfil the current gap on data, this systematic review is focused on the frequency of stroke, risk factors, stroke types and mortality in Iran.

Methods

Thirteen relevant articles were identified by keyword searching of PubMed, Iranmedex, Iranian University index Libraries and the official national data on burden of diseases.

Results

The publication dates ranged from 1990 to 2008. The annual stroke incidence of various ages ranged from 23 to 103 per 100,000 population. This is comparable to the figures from Arab Countries, higher than sub-Saharan Africa, but lower than developed countries, India, the Caribbean, Latin America, and China. Similarly to other countries, ischaemic stroke was the commonest subtype. Likewise, the most common related risk factor is hypertension in adults, but cardiac causes in young stroke. The 28-day case fatality rate is reported at 19-31%.

Conclusions

Data on the epidemiology of stroke, its pattern and risk factors from Iran is scarce, but the available data highlights relatively low incidence of stroke. This may reflect a similarity towards the neighbouring nations, and a contrast with the West.

The epidemiology of stroke in the Middle East and North Africa

Stroke is the second leading cause of death in the world. In the Middle East and North Africa stroke is increasingly becoming a major health problem, with projections that deaths from it will nearly double by 2030. This systematic review aims to bring together age-adjusted epidemiological data of stroke in this region. A literature review of five databases was conducted. Twenty-three papers met the criteria. The incidence of stroke varied extensively among studies. Studies reported rates from 29.8 per 100000 people in Saudi Arabia to 57 per 100000 people in Bahrain. Furthermore, the 28-day case mortality rate also differed among studies, ranging from 10% in Kuwait to 31.5% in Iran. The rates are comparable with those in the Western world; however, the population of the region is younger. The Middle East and North Africa are lacking in data on the epidemiology of stroke. There is an urgent need to develop strategies to prevent and better care for stroke patients in the Middle East and North Africa.

Stroke in young Nigerian adults

Stroke in adults under the age of 45 results in a greater loss of potential years of life than for other adults. This premature loss of life is associated with a high social and economic burden. Few data are available regarding stroke among young Nigerian adults in the Niger Delta Basin. This study sought to determine the incidence, risk factors, stroke subtypes and case fatality of stroke among young Nigerian adults. The medical records of all 18- to 45-year-old patients admitted with stroke in the medical wards of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) from January 2003 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. Of the 611 patients admitted with stroke, 54 (8.8%) were aged 18-45 years. There were 26 males and 28 females. Hypertension was responsible for 42 (77.8%) stroke cases. Other important risk factors were excessive alcohol intake (27.8%), heart disease (13%), diabetes mellitus (11.1%), cigarette smoking (11.1%) and HIV infection (7.4%). The total case fatality was 29.6% with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) having higher case fatality of 69.2% than cerebral infarction (CI) with a case fatality of 16.7%. Among the young Nigerian adults who presented with stroke, 53.7% survived. The authors conclude from the above information that the incidence of stroke in young patients at UPTH is low. Hypertension is the most important risk factor of stroke; however, other less common but important risk factors in the young adults are cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus and HIV. Efforts should be made to reduce the impact of stroke in this age group by focusing on these risk factors, which are either preventable or modifiable.

The epidemiology of stroke in northern palestine: a 1-year, hospital-based study

BACKGROUND

Although stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, no studies on stroke were reported from Palestine. The objective of this study was to identify the risk factors and incidence rates of stroke in a well-defined area in north Palestine (i.e., the district of Nablus) with 362,159 native Palestinian inhabitants.

METHODS

All patients admitted to Al-Watani governmental hospital from September 2006 to August 2007 and given the diagnosis of acute stroke were included in the study. Diagnosis of stroke was confirmed by computerized tomography scan. Demographic characteristics and clinical data pertaining to the patients were obtained from their medical files.

RESULTS

A total of 186 patients with stroke (95 female and 91 male) were identified during the study. The average age of the patients was 69.09 +/- 10.9 years. Among the total patients, 112 had a first-ever stroke (FES) and 74 had recurrent stroke (RS). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and renal dysfunction were the most common risk factors with comparable prevalence in both FES and RS. The majority of patients (153; 82.3%) had ischemic stroke subtype whereas 33 (17.7%) had hemorrhagic stroke subtype. The overall (FES + RS) annual crude incidence rate of stroke was 51.4 per 100,000 persons whereas the annual crude incidence rate of FES was 31 per 100,000 persons. The age-adjusted incidence rates were 54.5 (FES) and 89.8 (FES and RS). The overall inhospital mortality was 21% and was higher in patients with RS than in those with FES.

CONCLUSION

Modifiable risk factors were common among patients with stroke. Better control of these risk factors might decrease incidence of stroke and all consequences thereafter. Incidence rate and inhospital mortality of stroke reported in this study were within the range reported from other Arab countries.

Stroke in Qatar: a first prospective hospital-based study of acute stroke

BACKGROUND

Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Qatar.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of our study was to determine types of strokes, the associated risk factors, clinical presentation, outcome, and time to hospital admission among Qatari and non-Qatari patients as well as young and nonyoung patients.

METHODS

We conducted a hospital-based prospective observational study including all patients admitted to Hamad Medical Corporation with first-ever stroke from September 15, 2004, to September 14, 2005. A stroke was defined according to World Health Organization criteria.

RESULTS

Stroke was confirmed in 270 patients of whom 217 (80.4%) had ischemic stroke and 53 (19.6%) had hemorrhagic stroke. Male patients predominated in all types of stroke. The main risk factors for stroke were hypertension and diabetes, whereas lacunar infarct was the most common subtype of ischemic stroke. Risk factor profiles were similar between Qatari and non-Qatari patients except for hypercholesterolemia, which was observed with a higher frequency in Qatari compared with non-Qatari patients with ischemic stroke. There were significant differences between the young and nonyoung patients with ischemic stroke with respect to risk factors, ejection fraction, ventricular wall-motion abnormalities, time to hospital admission, and outcome. Most patients arrived at the hospital more than 3 hours from stroke onset because of unawareness of stroke symptoms. The overall in-hospital mortality was 9.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were the main risk factors for stroke in Qatar, whereas lacunar infarct was the most common subtype. Significant differences between the young and nonyoung patients were observed with respect to risk factors, ejection fraction, ventricular wall-motion abnormalities, time to hospital admission, and outcome.

Ischemic stroke in Jordan 2000 to 2002: A two-year, hospital-based study

A total of 200 consecutive patients with first ischemic stroke seen at Jordan University Hospital in Amman, Jordan, during a 2-year period were studied retrospectively. Mean age was 61.2 years (range: 29-95 years). The most common stroke subtype was lacunar infarct (51%), but the frequency of cardioembolic strokes was low (8%). Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, and smoking were the most common risk factors for atherosclerotic noncardioembolic strokes. Chronic atrial fibrillation was the most common risk factor for cardioembolic strokes. No patient had significant (>50%) extracranial carotid or vertebral artery stenosis. The outcome was relatively good; 85% of patients were discharged home, the majority with only mild neurologic deficit. The favorable outcome is most likely because of the relatively young mean age and the predominance of lacunar infarcts.