Gender Variation in the Risk Factors with Ischemic Stroke: Bangladesh Perspective

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Stroke risk factors exhibit differential distribution between genders.
• Understanding these gender-specific risks is crucial for targeted prevention strategies.
• Previous studies suggest a significant impact of gender on stroke risk factor prevalence.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and compare the risk factors for acute ischemic stroke in male and female patients.
• To identify gender-specific predictors of ischemic stroke.
• To inform tailored public health interventions for stroke prevention.

Main Methods:

• A case-control study involving 125 ischemic stroke patients and 129 healthy controls.
• Data collected from Dhaka Medical College Hospital and Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College Hospital (July 2009 - June 2011).
• Risk factors were analyzed separately for males and females using multivariate analysis.

Main Results:

• In males, significant stroke predictors included ever smoking (adj. OR 3.799), diabetes mellitus (adj. OR 5.687), hypertension (adj. OR 18.53), and total cholesterol (adj. OR 1.017).
• In females, significant predictors were diabetes mellitus (adj. OR 6.989), hypertension (adj. OR 17.85), serum LDL (adj. OR 1.04), and serum triglycerides (adj. OR 1.012).
• Hypertension and diabetes mellitus were significant risk factors for both genders.

Conclusions:

• Significant gender differences exist in the risk factors associated with acute ischemic stroke.
• While hypertension and diabetes are common risks, smoking and cholesterol are key for males, and LDL/triglycerides for females.
• Lifestyle modifications, alongside managing hypertension and diabetes, are vital for stroke prevention in both sexes.