[The incidence of cerebrovascular accidents in the town of Rivera, Uruguay].
BACKGROUND
Knowledge about the epidemiology of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA), or stroke, in the town of Rivera, Uruguay, would be useful as the basis on which to apply health care strategies both in the prevention of risk factors and in early diagnosis and treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the incidence of CVA in the town of Rivera and to study the association between certain risk factors and the pathological type of CVA.


METHODS
The study, which spanned the period between 1st March 2000 and 28th February 2001, was conducted in the town of Rivera, which has a population of 62,859 and is located in the north of the Eastern Republic of Uruguay. The sample consisted of 114 patients with CVA, of whom 79 had no previous history of CVA -first CVA in lifetime (FCVAL)-.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of CVA was 181.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The incidence of FCVAL was 125.7 cases per 100,000 inhabitants per year. 73.4% of the FCVAL were ischaemic and 26.6% were haemorrhagic. A high percentage of arterial hypertension was found in patients with CVA (84%) and with FCVAL (80.7%), and a statistically significant association was observed between congestive heart failure and ischaemic CVA.
Hochmann
B
B
Servico de Neurología, Hospital Departamental de Rivera, Rivera, Uruguay. hochmann@adinet.com.uy
Coelho
J
J
Segura
J
J
Galli
M
M
Ketzoian
C
C
Pebet
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006285:Health Planning; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014583:Uruguay / Q000453:epidemiology