Prevalence of obesity among stroke patients in five Brazilian cities: a cross-sectional study

There is gap in knowledge about obesity prevalence in stroke patients from low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, we aimed to measure the prevalence of overweight and obesity status among patients with incident stroke in Brazil.

In a cross-sectional study, we measured the body mass index (BMI) of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke patients. The sample was extracted in 2016, from the cities of Sobral (CE), Sertãozinho (SP), Campo Grande (MS), Joinville (SC) and Canoas (RS).

In 1,255 patients with first-ever strokes, 64% (95% CI, 62-67) were overweight and 26% (95%CI, 24-29) were obese. The obesity prevalence ranged from 15% (95%CI, 9-23) in Sobral to 31% (95%CI, 18-45) in Sertãozinho. Physical inactivity ranged from 53% (95%CI, 43-63) in Sobral to 80% (95%CI, 73-85) in Canoas.

The number of overweight patients with incident stroke is higher than the number of patients with stroke and normal BMI. Although similar to other findings in high-income countries, we urgently need better policies for obesity prevention.