Risk factors and treatment of stroke in Chinese young adults.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risk factors and treatment status of Chinese stroke patients aged 35-45 years old.


METHODS
We collected data from 1988 in-hospital stroke patients aged 35-45 years old from 36 hospitals in mainland China and compared it to 12,260 health controls with the same age. Information about stroke risk factors was obtained through a questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression and chi-square test were performed to explore the association between risk factors and stroke in young patients.


RESULTS
Of the stroke patients, 94.3% had an ischemic stroke and 73.0% were male. Frequencies of stroke risk factors were significantly higher in patients than those in controls, including history of hypertension (41.0% versus 9.0%, p<0.05), diabetes (5.2% versus 1.7%, p<0.05), hypercholesterolemia (4.2% versus 2.9%, p<0.05), heart diseases (7.2% versus 1.6%, p<0.05), stroke (14.9% versus 1.3%, p<0.05), smoking (38.8% versus 33.3%, p<0.05) and drinking (38.0% versus 24.9%, p<0.05). Furthermore, only 12.8% of patients with hypertension took antihypertensive drugs regularly, and 27.9% of diabetic patients took hypoglycemic drugs regularly. Risk factors when compared between male and female patients were as follows: history of heart diseases (5.9 versus 10.8, p<0.05), smoking (50.9 versus 6.5, p<0.05) and drinking (50.4 versus 5.8, p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Majority of the Chinese stroke patients aged 35-45 years were male and had suffered an ischemic stroke. The history of stroke, heart disease and hypercholesterolemia could increase the risk of stroke in young adults, and the risk factors in the order of importance were hypertension, smoking, alcohol drinking, previous stroke, heart disease, diabetes mellitus and hyperlipidemia. Hypertension, smoking and alcohol drinking were found to be the main risk factors; treatment state and lifestyle should be improved for young stroke patients.
Bi
Qi
Q
Department of Neurology, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China. biqidoctor@163.com
Wang
Lifeng
L
Li
Xiaoqing
X
Song
Zhe
Z
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000628:therapy*