title: Protocol of the Stroke in Korean Young Adults Study: A Multicenter Case-Control Study and Prospective Cohort Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The incidence of ischemic stroke in young adults has been rising over recent decades, but there is still limited information on its risk factors, etiologies, and outcomes. Because these patients generally participate in social life, risk factors associated with lifestyle may have a great impact and need to be identified.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SKY (Stroke in Korean Young Adults) study is a multicenter case-control study and a prospective cohort study in 8 tertiary medical centers in the Republic of Korea. The case subjects are patients aged 18-44 years with first-ever ischemic stroke occurring within 1 month of stroke onset, and the control subjects are age- and gender-matched community controls. Our aim is to include 470 cases and 470 controls. The main objective of our study is to determine the risk factors and the causes of ischemic stroke in Korean young adults. Both well-documented risk factors and little-known lifestyle-related risk factors such as lifestyle habits and psychological distress including job strain will be evaluated by comparing cases and controls using a structured questionnaire. Secondary objectives are to determine the risks of mortality, recurrent vascular events, and poststroke epilepsy in these patients. Conditional logistic regression analysis will be used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SKY study is designed to obtain more insights into relatively little-known risk factors in young Korean adults with ischemic stroke. The results may also help identify the frequencies of uncommon etiologies and outcomes in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyuk Sung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chulho
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Keun-Hwa
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young Dae
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyung-Min
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Hyuk
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Dae-Il
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology and Cerebrovascular Center, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Beom Joon
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Jeong-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: aescula@hanmail.net.
authors.forename: Young Seo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012107:Research Design; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Stroke etiology; psychological distress; risk factors; stroke outcome; young patients