Dietary patterns associated with stroke among West Africans: A case-control study.

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Cardiovascular Health
• Public Health

Background:

• The relationship between diet and stroke risk in African populations remains under-researched.
• Understanding dietary influences is crucial for developing targeted stroke prevention strategies in West Africa.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between specific dietary patterns and the risk of stroke among West Africans.
• To identify dietary factors that may contribute to or protect against stroke in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• A multi-center case-control study involving 3684 stroke patients and 3684 matched healthy controls from Nigeria and Ghana.
• Dietary patterns were assessed using food frequency questionnaires and summarized via principal component analysis.
• Conditional logistic regression was employed to calculate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for stroke risk, adjusting for confounders.

Main Results:

• Seven distinct dietary patterns were identified.
• Diets high in vegetables (OR: 0.45; 95% CI: 0.39-0.53) and fruits (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73-0.98) were associated with a significantly reduced stroke risk.
• Conversely, patterns rich in poultry, organ meats, and red meat were linked to an increased stroke risk.

Conclusions:

• Plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of stroke in West Africans.
• Recommendations for plant-centric diets may be beneficial for the primary prevention of stroke in African populations.
• Further research into specific food components and their impact on stroke risk is warranted.