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Diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for stroke.
K F Mortel1, J S Meyer, P A Sims
1Cerebral Blood Flow Laboratory, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Houston, TX 77211.
Southern Medical Journal
|August 1, 1990
Summary
Diabetes mellitus significantly increases stroke risk, acting as the second leading cause after hypertension. It exacerbates other factors like heart disease and hyperlipidemia, leading to earlier and more frequent strokes, especially in men.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Endocrinology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a growing global health concern.
- Understanding its role as a stroke risk factor is crucial for public health.
- Previous studies have suggested a link, but relative potency requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the relative potency of diabetes mellitus as a risk factor for stroke.
- To compare the frequency of specific stroke symptom classifications between diabetic and non-diabetic cohorts.
- To analyze the impact of diabetes on stroke occurrence, age of onset, and gender distribution.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of stroke symptoms (atherothrombotic cerebral infarctions, transient ischemic attacks, reversible ischemic neurologic deficits, multi-infarct dementia) in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.
- Utilized both cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs.
- Involved 293 consecutive patients, with regression analyses to identify risk factors.
Main Results:
- Diabetic patients exhibited higher frequencies of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke symptoms compared to age-matched non-diabetics.
- Diabetes was identified as the second leading risk factor for stroke, following hypertension.
- Combined diabetes with hypertension or hyperlipidemia significantly elevated stroke risk.
- Cognitive function declined significantly in diabetics over 3 years, irrespective of cerebral blood flow maintenance.
Conclusions:
- Diabetes mellitus is a potent, independent risk factor for stroke, second only to hypertension.
- Diabetes exacerbates stroke risk by promoting cerebral atherogenesis and aggravating other cardiovascular risk factors.
- Long-term diabetes significantly impairs cognitive function, highlighting the need for comprehensive management to mitigate neurological complications.