Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Brazilians over eighty with ischemic stroke.
BACKGROUND
An ischemic stroke is usually a catastrophic event, mostly in the elderly. Cardiovascular involvement is the leading cause of ischemic stroke in this age population and hence the knowledge about its risk factors is important for the definition of specific policies of prevention.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with age equal to or above 80 in a hospital population with ischemic stroke.


METHODS
Retrospective study of consecutive patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke admitted to a tertiary health facility.


RESULTS
From September 2004 to March 2006, 215 patients were studied. There was a female preponderance (p<0.01). Among patients over eighty, 72% had hypertension and atrial fibrillation was more common among the oldest old (p<0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Hypertension and atrial fibrillation should be treated aggressively in the elderly. Anticoagulants should be considered more often in these patients.
Pieri
Alexandre
A
Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. apieri@einstein.br
Spitz
Mariana
M
Lopes
Tania Oliveira
TO
de Barros
Claudia Garcia
CG
Faulhaber
Marcelo Wood
MW
Gabbai
Alberto Alain
AA
Cendoroglo-Neto
Miguel
M
D000367:Age Factors; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control
D000925:Anticoagulants