title: Stroke risk factors and subtypes in different age groups: a hospital-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the influence of stroke risk factors between different stroke types and age groups in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  During the study period, March 2007 to August 2008, 1,161 patients with acute ischemic stroke were admitted to the neurological ward. All the patients had risk factors work up and stroke subtype categorization.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study cohort included 736 men and 425 women. Patients were grouped into three age groups: below 50 years (153, 13.2%); 50-75 years, (702, 60.5%) and above 75 years (306, 26.4%). Stroke subtypes included: (1) large-artery atherosclerosis (14.6%), cardioembolism (12%), small-artery occlusion (39.4%), stroke of other determined etiology (1.5%) and stroke of undetermined etiology (32.6%). Older patient group had higher frequency of hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Younger age group of patients had high frequency of obesity and elevated serum triglyceride levels. Smoking and alcohol consumption were strongly related to men, and heart disease and obesity were related to women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The influence of risk factors at different ages is different. Awareness of the stroke risk factors before stroke and treatment with appropriate therapies or life modifications may have a bearing on the outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hung-Ming
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Jiann-Der
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsu-Huei
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Weng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006751:Hospital Information Systems; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology