Incidence and risk factors profile of stroke in hebron- Palestine

Background: The incidence and risk factor profile of stroke patients are known to differ for different populations. This information is important in order to address the impact of stroke. The aim of the study was to determine the incidence and risk factor profile of a Palestinian stroke sample from Hebron - Palestine. Methods: A descriptive, case-controlled study was used to collect the data from a consecutively recruited sample of 139 first-ever stroke patients and from a randomly selected sample of 153 controls. Data were collected from medical records for the cases, as well as information collected during a community-based campaign and interviews for the controls. Data collected included age, gender, socio-economic status and risk profile. The crude incidence was calculated based on the projected population of the research setting, while the age-adjusted stroke incidence was calculated using the direct method. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate the stroke risk factors that might predict stroke. All the relevant ethical considerations were adhered to during the study. Results: The mean age of the total sample was 66.39 years with median age of (69 years). The crude incidence rate was 24.48/100 000. The age-adjusted stroke incidence was 77.95/100 000. The strongest predictor of a stroke was diabetes, with an odds ratio of OR = 5.95. This was followed by hypertension; with an odds ratio of 2.069.The risk factors most associated with incidences of strokes were heart failure and diabetes. Those less likely to have a stroke were males who were younger than 60 years old Conclusion: The age-adjusted incidence rate was less than what has been reported in a number of other developed and developing counties. Diabetes was a stronger predictor of stroke when compared to hypertension.