Risk Factors in Ischemic Stroke Subtypes: A Community-Based Study in Brno, Czech Republic

Background: It is not known if risk factors differ between ischemic stroke (IS) subtypes in Central and Eastern Europe. Aims: We performed a community-based analysis of risk factors in patients admitted with IS over a 1 year period in Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic (CR). Methods: Based on the National Register of Hospitalized Patients, all patients with IS admitted in Brno in 2011 were identified. Comprehensive discharge summaries from hospital admissions were collected and reviewed. IS subtype and relevant risk factors were ascertained for all patients. The age- and sex-adjusted association of risk factors with IS subtypes was determined. Results: Overall, 682 patients with IS were admitted in 2011 to Brno hospitals. The distribution of IS subtypes was: 35% cardioembolism, 28% large-artery atherosclerosis, 23% small-artery occlusion, 7% stroke of undetermined etiology, 7% stroke of other determined etiology. Several of the risk factors showed high prevalence in the overall sample – e.g. hypertension (84%) and hyperlipidemia (61%). Cardioembolism as compared to other subtypes was positively associated with a history of myocardial infarction, cardiac failure, and atrial fibrillation. Small-artery occlusion was positively associated with history of dementia. No significant association was found between IS subtypes and history of IS, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, alcohol abuse or smoking. Conclusions: We found high frequency of stroke risk factors in all IS subtypes. These findings have implications for stroke prevention strategies in the CR and across Central Europe.