title: A retrospective analysis of 254 acute stroke cases admitted to two university hospitals in Beirut: classification and associated factors.
abstract: Lebanon is a developing country where the prevalence of stroke subtypes and their correlation with risk factors have not been studied, even though stroke management is an ongoing major national healthcare challenge. In a retrospective study conducted in two university hospitals, data were collected on all stroke cases admitted in 2012 and 2013. Ischemic strokes were then classified according to a modified TOAST classification. A total of 254 inpatients (mean age 68.41 years ±13.34, 55.1% males) was included in the study; of these, 15% had had a hemorrhagic stroke and was therefore excluded. Conversely to findings from studies in other Arab and Asian countries, where small vessel disease is the most frequent subtype, our study showed a predominance of large artery atherosclerosis (53.5%) which, in comparison with other subtypes, was found to be associated with dyslipidemia (OR= 3.82, 95% CI= [1.76-8.28]; p=0.001). Cardioembolic stroke and small vessel disease were found to be positively associated with aging and living in Beirut, respectively. Larger studies are needed to explain these findings.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lahoud
authors.forename: Marie-Helene
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Abbas
authors.forename: Pascale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Salameh
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saleh
authors.forename: Samer
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Abes
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hosseini
authors.forename: Souheil
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gebeily
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D007861:Lebanon / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000145:classification* / Q000453:epidemiology*