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Risk factors of stroke incidence and mortality. A 12-year follow-up of the Oslo Study
L L Håheim1, I Holme, I Hjermann
1Life Insurance Companies Institute of Medical Statistics, Ullevål Hospital, Oslo, Norway.
Insights
Diastolic blood pressure, smoking, and high cholesterol are key stroke risk factors. Lifestyle changes like lowering blood pressure and increasing leisure physical activity can reduce stroke incidence and mortality.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular epidemiology
- Public health
Background:
- Stroke remains a leading cause of mortality and morbidity worldwide.
- Identifying modifiable risk factors is crucial for effective prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the risk factors associated with stroke incidence and mortality.
- To analyze the predictive power of various physiological and lifestyle factors on stroke outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study involving 14,403 healthy men aged 40-49 years.
- 12-year follow-up period with Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis.
- Evaluation of factors including blood pressure, cholesterol, smoking, and physical activity.
Main Results:
- Diastolic blood pressure was a stronger predictor of stroke incidence and mortality than systolic blood pressure.
- Smoking significantly predicted mortality, but no dose-response was observed with cigarette consumption.
- Total serum cholesterol was a significant risk factor for stroke mortality.
- Increased leisure physical activity was linked to reduced stroke incidence.
Conclusions:
- Lowering blood pressure, quitting smoking, reducing cholesterol, and increasing leisure physical activity are effective measures for stroke risk reduction.
- The findings highlight the importance of addressing multiple risk factors for comprehensive stroke prevention.
Background And Purpose:
The objective of this study was to determine the risk factors of stroke incidence and mortality.
Methods:
Our data are based on a prospective cohort study of men aged 40 to 49 years after 12 years of follow-up.
Results:
In age-adjusted Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis of 14,403 healthy men, diastolic blood pressure was a stronger predictor for stroke incidence and mortality than systolic blood pressure. Smoking was a stronger predictor of mortality than of incidence. However, there was no dose-response relation among smokers by increased cigarette consumption. Total serum cholesterol was a significant (P < .05) risk factor for stroke mortality and of borderline significance (P = .08) for stroke incidence. Increased physical activity at leisure was associated with reduced stroke incidence but not mortality. The myocardial infarction risk score comprising systolic blood pressure, total serum cholesterol, and daily cigarette smoking was a strong predictor of mortality and incidence. Body mass index, triglycerides, blood glucose, and physical activity at work were not found to be risk factors for stroke.
Conclusions:
Reduction of blood pressure, cessation of smoking, lowered cholesterol, and increased physical activity at leisure are individual measures to reduce the risk of stroke.