title: Time trends in incidence of pathological and etiological stroke subtypes during 16 years: the Erlangen Stroke Project.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Population-based data, which continuously monitors time trends in stroke epidemiology are limited. We investigated the incidence of pathological and etiological stroke subtypes over a 16 year time period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were collected within the Erlangen Stroke Project (ESPro), a prospective, population-based stroke register in Germany covering a total study population of 105,164 inhabitants (2010). Etiology of ischemic stroke was classified according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between January 1995 and December 2010, 3,243 patients with first-ever stroke were documented. The median age was 75 and 55% were females. The total stroke incidence decreased over the 16 year study period in men (Incidence Rate Ratio 1995-1996 vs. 2009-2010 (IRR) 0.78; 95% CI 0.58-0.90) but not in women. Among stroke subtypes, a decrease in ischemic stroke incidence (IRR 0.73; 95% CI 0.57-0.93) and of large artery atherosclerotic stroke (IRR 0.27; 95% CI 0.12-0.59) was found in men and an increase of stroke due to small artery occlusion in women (IRR 2.33; 95% CI 1.39-3.90).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Variations in time trends of pathological and etiological stroke subtypes were found between men and women that might be linked to gender differences in the development of major vascular risk factors in the study population.
authors: Interdisciplinary Centre for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Public Health, Friedrich-Alexander University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany.
authors: Peter L
authors: PL
authors: Kolominsky-Rabas
authors: Silke
authors: S
authors: Wiedmann
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Weingärtner
authors: Thomas G
authors: TG
authors: Liman
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Endres
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Schwab
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Buchfelder
authors: Peter U
authors: PU
authors: Heuschmann
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012042:Registries; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology