A Comparison of Some Risk Factors between Male and Female in Patients with Ischemic CVA

Abstract

Background: Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the general population. the most effective way to reduce the burden of stroke is through prevention. This article provides findings on gender differences for risk factors of ischemic stroke. Aims: The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare males and females on some risk factors for ischemic stroke. Methods and material: In this retrospective study, a total of 400 patients with the diagnosis of ischemic stroke, based on CT scan findings , who were admitted to 17th hospital from 2006 t 2010, were assessed. The frequency of some risk factors such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, hyper-cholesterolemia and heart disease, were examined. The hospital data were reviewed and recorded in special standardized questionnaire. Finally data analyzed by SPSS (version 16), CHI squer, and Fisher’s exact test with sig-nificant level of 5%. Results: 50% of patients were men and 50% were women, and the mean age was 70.51±11.457 years. Stroke risk factors that differed significantly by gender include the history of smoking (26% men vs. 14.5% women ,P=0.016), hypercholesterolemia ( 48.5% females vs. 35.5% males, P=0.008 ) ,duration of hypercholesterolemia ( 11.95±7.816 years in women and 9.10±5.141years in men ,P=0.004),incidence of low levels of HDL (10.5% in female and 3.5% in male , P=0.005 ) high levels of TG ( 39.5% in women vs. 25% in men, P=0.002 ),history of hypertension ( 77.5% in female and 64.5% in male , P=0.003),duration of hypertension ( 13.829±7.6476 years in women and 10.291±6.1048 years in men , P=0.0001). Conclusion: Women are more likely to have hypertension, hypercholesterolemia ,low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of TG .Although duration of hyperten-sion and hypercholesterolemia are longer in women than in men. History of smoking in men was more than in women. High LDL levels, history of DM ,and duration of DM, VHD, IHD, arrhythmia and age were equally frequent in males and females.