Hypertension and Diabetes as Risk Factors in Stroke Patients

The occurrence of hypertension and diabetes in stroke patients was evaluated in a retrospective epidemiological study in the Jerusalem district. During the years 1960 through 1967, 1,522 new stroke cases (834 males and 688 females) were diagnosed and included in the study. Cerebral ischemia was diagnosed in 509 patients (33%), 181 patients (12%) had an intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage and 832 patients (55%) had a stroke of undetermined type. For the total stroke series, 42% had hypertension. Almost the same percentage was found for males (41%) and females (43%). There was almost no sex predominance in the hypertensive stroke cases in the different age groups and for the various types of stroke. The frequency of hypertension among the stroke eases was low in the 40 to 49 age group, higher in the 50 to 59 age group, maximal in the 60 to 69 age group, and declining in the above 70 age group. The percentage of hypertensives was about the same for the ischemic and the undetermined types of stroke and for the total stroke series in the different age groups. It was found to be slightly higher in the hemorrhage type. The prevalence of hypertension among the male stroke cases was compared with the prevalence of hypertension in the general male population aged 40 and above (9.6%). For the total stroke series, 20% had diabetes. The same percentage was found for males (19%) and females (20%). There was almost no sex predominance in the diabetic stroke cases in the different age groups and for the various types of stroke. There was no significant change in the distribution of diabetes in the various age groups and the different stroke types. The prevalence of diabetes among the male stroke cases was compared with its prevalence in the general male population aged 40 and above (5%). Our study shows that hypertension and diabetes play an important role as risk factors in the development of cerebral ischemia and hemorrhage alike.