Ischemic stroke in young adults of South Asia.
OBJECTIVE
To study the risk factors, etiology and management of ischemic stroke in young adults in a South Asian population.


METHODS
Retrospective study conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Karachi. One hundred and eighteen patients between fifteen and forty-five years admitted over a five year period with a diagnosis of ischemic infarct constituted the study population. The study variables included the full clinical spectrum, spanning historical, laboratory, radiological and outcome parameters.


RESULTS
Forty-three percent of patients were hypertensive and 30% were diabetic. The combination of diabetes and hypertension was found in 19.5% of patients, intra-cranial and carotid artherosclerosis in 22% and embolism in 11% of the cases. The in-hospital mortality was 11%. The outcome was excellent in 27%, good in 50% and poor in 23% of patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The risk factors for artherosclerosis and the contribution of intra and extra-cranial artherosclerosis were found to be much higher than those from the Western Hemisphere.
Razzaq
A A
AA
Section of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi.
Khan
B A
BA
Baig
S M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000150:complications; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy