Ischemic stroke in Korean young adults.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the characteristics of ischemic stroke in Korean young adults.


METHODS
We prospectively studied 149 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke aged between 15 to 44 years who were admitted to Asan Medical Center. All patients underwent brain CT/MRI and the majority of them underwent cerebral anglogram, echocardiography and laboratory studies for coagulopathy and vasculitis. Stroke subtypes were classified according to TOAST criteria.


RESULTS
In our study, men (75.2%) significantly outnumbered women. Stroke subtypes were: large artery atherosclerosis 20.8%), small artery occlusive disease 17.4%), cardioembolism 18.1%, undetermined causes 16.8%, and other determined etiologies 26.8%. The prevalence of hypertension, cigarette smoking and habitual alcohol consumption was significantly higher in men than in women.


CONCLUSIONS
Compared to the western studies, the deviation of sex ratio and the relative proportion of large artery atherosclerosis/small artery occlusion was higher. Heavy exposure to risk factors such as hypertension and cigarette smoking in Korean young men may explain these differences.
Kwon
S U
SU
Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Kim
J S
JS
Lee
J H
JH
Lee
M C
MC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*