Ischemic stroke subtypes in a Japanese population: Takashima Stroke Registry, 1988-2004.
OBJECTIVE
Population-based information on the epidemiology of ischemic stroke (IS) subtypes is scant. In this study, we characterized IS subtypes in terms of incidence, time trend, and risk factor profiles in a community-based population.


METHODS
We obtained data from the Takashima Stroke Registry on approximately 55 000 residents of Takashima County in central Japan and calculated age-adjusted stroke incidence rates for different IS subtypes. We determined the incidence time trend by calculating the average annual change across years and also compared risk factors between subtypes.


RESULTS
There were 1389 first-ever ischemic strokes registered during 1988 to 2004. Lacunar infarction was the most frequent etiology (54.1%) followed by cardioembolic infarction (22.9%). Age-adjusted incidence rates for different IS subtypes were lacunar, 77.1; cardioembolic, 31.5; and nonlacunar, 29.7/10(5) person-years. The average annual change was not significant for the IS subtypes except for nonlacunar infarction, which showed a decreasing trend. Risk factor analysis showed that patients with lacunar infarctions were younger and less likely to have a history of transient ischemic attack or a drinking habit than patients with nonlacunar infarctions.


CONCLUSIONS
Lacunar infarct was the most common IS subtype in our population. We found no significant change in the incidence of subtypes during the study, except a decrease in nonlacunar infarction.
Turin
Tanvir Chowdhury
TC
Department of Neurology, Klinikum Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen, Germany. dr.turin@gmail.com
Kita
Yoshikuni
Y
Rumana
Nahid
N
Nakamura
Yasuyuki
Y
Takashima
Naoyuki
N
Ichikawa
Masaharu
M
Sugihara
Hideki
H
Morita
Yutaka
Y
Hirose
Kunihiko
K
Okayama
Akira
A
Miura
Katsuyuki
K
Ueshima
Hirotsugu
H
D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*