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Latest news from 'stroke world'
The contribution of various risk factors to the burden of stroke throughout the world is unknown, particularly in countries of low and middle income where the largest burden of stroke occurs. But a recent study conducted at McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario shows that a total of 10 risk factors are associated with 90 percent of the risks of stroke. Results of the study are published online in The Lancet. The researchers calculated the increased risk and population-attributable risks (PARs) for the association of all stroke — ischaemic stroke (due to blockage of brain blood vessel), and intracerebral haemorrhagic stroke (due to bleeding from brain vessels) with selected risk factors.
The researchers found the following 10 risk factors to be significantly associated with stroke: high blood pressure, smoking, waist-to-hip ratio, diet, physical activity, lipids, diabetes mellitus, alcohol intake, stress & depression and heart disorders.
The INTERSTROKE study is the first large standardised case-control study of risk factors for stroke in which countries of low and middle income were included, and where all cases completed a brain scan. They showed that 5 risk factors accounted for more than 80 percent of the global risk of all stroke. They are — hypertension, current smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity.
In an accompanying remark, Dr. Jack V. Tu, said, "Whilst hypertension is well established as the most important cause of stroke in high-income countries, INTERSTROKE confirms that it is also the most important risk factor for stroke in developing countries. This finding is particularly relevant because it highlights the need for health authorities in these regions to develop strategies to screen the general population for high blood pressure and, if necessary, offer affordable treatment to reduce the burden of stroke. It also provides an impetus to develop population-wide strategies to reduce the salt content in the diet of individuals in these countries."
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