The magnitude of stroke and associated risk factors among young adults at a tertiary hospital in Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Stroke in young adults is becoming a significant global public health
concern, with variations observed in different regions. But, there is a lack of reliable
epidemiological data on stroke among young adults in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was
to determine the magnitude and risk factors of stroke among adults at a tertiary university
hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we determined a minimum sample
size of 236 to estimate the frequency of stroke in adults aged 18-49 years among all adult
stroke admissions. Demographic, clinical, and neuroimaging data were collected from
medical records using structured data abstraction form. Data were analyzed using the
Statistical Package for Social Science V.26.0 software.
Results: There were 399 adults with stroke admissions during the study period. Out of the
399 adults stroke admissions, 111 (27.8%) were classified as stroke-in-young. Among the
stroke-in-young patients, 64.9% (72) were males. The mean (SD) age of the patients was
39.0 (±7.9) years, with an age range of 21-49 years. Ischemic stroke accounted for 64.9%
(72) of stroke-in-adult cases while intracerebral hemorrhage, cerebral venous sinus
thrombosis and subarachnoid hemorrhage accounted for 27.0%, 7.2% and 0.9%,
respectively. In cases of ischemic stroke, hypertension was prevalent (61.5%), often
accompanied by diabetes mellitus (33.3%), alcohol use (15.6%), and cigarette smoking
(8.9%). In young adults with intracerebral hemorrhage, hypertension, and alcohol and
recreational drug abuse occurred in 86.7%, 20.0%, and 13.3% of cases, respectively.
Conclusions: In our study, stroke-in-young accounted for 27.8% of adult admissions with
stroke. Cardio-metabolic and lifestyle-related risk factors were common among stroke-inyoung.
Further research is needed for better understanding of stroke-in-young individuals.