Background: To characterize the vascular risk factor profiles in ischemic stroke and in intracerebral hemorrhage.
Patients and method: The study population consisted of 1,473 consecutive ischemic stroke patients and 229 consecutive intracerebral hemorrhagic patients collected in the Sagrat Cor Hospital of Barcelona Stroke Registry over a 10-year period. The prevalence of vascular risk factors in ischemic stroke and in intracerebral hemorrhage was analyzed by means of univariate analysis and a logistic regression model.
Results: Hypertension was present in 52% of ischemic stroke patients and in 60.7% of intracerebral hemorrhagic patients. The pattern of risk factors associated with ischemic stroke included valve heart disease (OR = 5.96; 95% CI, 1.42-24.88), transient ischemic attack (OR = 4.16; 95% CI, 2-8.64), atrial fibrillation (OR = 2.95; 95% CI, 1.88-4.64), previous brain infarct (OR = 2.58; 95% CI, 1.53-4.35), ischemic heart disease (OR = 2.55; 95% CI, 1.41-4.62), hyperlipidemia (OR = 2.12; 95% CI, 1.32-3.4), hypertension (OR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48-0.87), chronic liver disease (OR = 0.32; 95% CI, 0.14-0.73), previous cerebral hemorrhage (OR = 0.24; 95% CI, 0.09-0.64) and oral anticoagulant therapy (OR = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.03-0.36).
Conclusions: Different potentially modifiable vascular risk factors profiles were identified in ischemic versus hemorrhagic stroke.