Prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors among elderly Brazilians over eighty with ischemic stroke

Abstract

-Introduction: An ischemic stroke is usually a catastrophic event, mostly in the elderly. Cardiovascular involvement is the leading cause of ischemic stroke in this age population and hence the knowledge about its risk factors is important for the definition of specific policies of prevention. Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in patients with age equal to or above 80 in a hospital population with ischemic stroke. Method: Retrospective study of consecutive patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke admitted to a tertiary health facility. Results: From September 2004 to March 2006, 215 patients were studied. There was a female preponderance (p<0.01). Among patients over eighty, 72% had hypertension and atrial fibrillation was more common among the oldest old (p<0.01). Conclusion: Hypertension and atrial fibrillation should be treated aggressively in the elderly. Anticoagulants should be considered more often in these patients.Key woRdS: ischemic stroke, elderly over eighty, cardiovascular risk factors. Prevalência de fatores de risco cardiovasculares em idosos brasileiros acima de 80 anos e com acidente cerebrovascular isquêmicoResumo -Introdução: Acidente cerebrovascular (AVC) isquêmico é geralmente um evento catastrófico, particularmente em idosos. envolvimento cardiovascular é a principal causa de AVC na população desta faixa etária; dessa forma, o conhecimento acerca de seus fatores de risco é importante para a definição de políticas específicas de prevenção. Objetivo: Avaliar a prevalência de fatores de risco cardiovasculares em pacientes com idade igual ou superior a 80 anos numa população hospitalar tendo AVC isquêmico. Método: estudo retrospectivo de pacientes consecutivos diagnosticados como AVC admitidos em um centro de saúde terciário. . The most common subtype is ischemic stroke, responsible for about 85% of the cases 2 . The incidence and prevalence of ischemic stroke is closely related to cardiovascular risk factors 3 , which can be divided into modifiable and nonmodifiable. Modifiable risk factors include hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking, coronary artery disease and atrial fibrillation. Age is the most common non-modifiable risk factor for stroke -after age 55, the risk of stroke doubles every decade 4 .As the population ages worldwide, there has been an increasing number of patients over eighty diagnosed with stroke 5 . The prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in this particular group can be different compared to other age ranges 6 . Primary and secondary prevention strategies in people over eighty depend on a better understanding of risk factors in this population.This article discusses the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in hospitalized patients over eighty in São Paulo, Brazil.

Characterization of patients with stroke treated at Lucy Montoro Rehabilitation Center of São José dos Campos

“…2,4,5 The sample of this study had a greater number of males over 50 years of age, in agreement with reports found in literature, which correlate cardiovascular alterations to the aging process and the occurrence of stroke. 6,7,8,9 Recent data from the United States also show a prevalence of stroke in men, but this relationship is reversed with advancing age, when women above 85 years of age present a higher risk of stroke. 10 A systematic review of 2009, which compared the differences in stroke epidemiology between men and women, observed a mean age of stroke in 68-year-old men and 72-yearold women, in agreement with this study, which showed a higher incidence among men of age over 50 years.…”

Early management of atrial fibrillation: from imaging to drugs to ablation

“…the rising incidence of aF has been recognized as a serious public health problem worldwide (table 1). [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9] aF is most prevalent in the elderly (>65 years of age), who represent a large proportion of the population in the developed world. aging of the population means that health professionals, including cardiac rhythm specialists, envisage that an aF epidemic will be an upcoming challenge.…”