Stroke in Qatar: a one-year, hospital-based study

Stroke is a major health problem in Qatar, yet no stroke studies have been reported from this region. This hospital-based study was conducted to determine the types and the 30-day fatality rate of stroke. The data were collected from the only hospital in Qatar and, therefore, are considered to be community-based estimations.

Clinical information was collected from discharge records of all patients with International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, (ICD 9) codes 430 to 438 from January 1 to December 31, 1997. Identification of cases included review of death certificates and brain computed tomography (CT) records for the same period.

First-ever stroke was found in 217 patients (157 men and 60 women). The overall incidence rate was 41 per 100,000 inhabitants per year (95% CI, 30.2-52.4/100,000/year) and 238/100,000/year for the population over 45 years old. The age standardized incidence was 57.5 per 100,000 inhabitants per year (95% CI, 43.1-73.8). The crude incidence for native Qataris was 75 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. The mean age of patients experiencing their first stroke was 57 years. Thirty-nine (18%) patients were younger than 45 years. Clinical subtypes of stroke were ischemic (80%), intracerebral hemorrhage (19%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (1%). Risk factors included hypertension (63%), diabetes mellitus (42%), ischemic heart disease (17%), and atrial fibrillation (4.5%). The overall patient fatality rate at 30 days was 16%.

Stroke incidence in Qatar is lower than in other countries; a low incidence of subarachnoid hemorrhage was noted. The low mean age of stroke patients reflects the demographic characteristics of the population in Qatar. The high percentage of stroke patients suffering from hypertension and diabetes reflects the high prevalence of these risk factors in the population.