title: Predictors of ischemic versus hemorrhagic strokes in hypertensive patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify the factors that predispose to ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke in hypertensive patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH), Karachi, from August 1999 to May 2001.
  
  
  METHODS
  All the hypertensive patients, who were registered in AKUH acute stroke outcome data base, over a period of 22 months, were identified and from this cohort the patients with first ever stroke were selected. The data regarding demographics, stroke type (ischemic vs. hemorrhagic), pre-existing medical problems, laboratory and radiological investigations was recorded and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five hundred and nineteen patients with either ischemic stroke or parenchymal hemorrhage were registered over a period of 22 months. Three hundred and forty-eight patients (67%) had hypertension and of these, 250 had first ever stroke at the time of admission. Presence of diabetes mellitus (OR: 3.76; CI:1.67-8.46) and ischemic heart disease (OR: 6.97; CI:1.57-30.98) were found to be independent predictors of ischemic strokes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Presence of diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease predict ischemic stroke in a patient with hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Neurology Section, The Aga Khan University, Karachi.
authors.forename: Bhojo A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Khealani
authors.forename: Nadir A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Syed
authors.forename: Sabeen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maken
authors.forename: Uzma U
authors.initials: UU
authors.lastname: Mapari
authors.forename: Bilal
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hameed
authors.forename: Sajjad
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Rizwana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Naveed
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akhter
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.forename: Aziz B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Sonawalla
authors.forename: Shahid M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wasay
mesh_terms: D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications*; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology*