Young ischaemic stroke in South Auckland: a hospital-based study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To analyse the risk factors, trends in incidence and aetiology of stroke in young adults in a hospital-based population in South Auckland, New Zealand.

METHOD: A retrospective review of patients aged 15 years to 45 years with a discharge diagnosis of ischaemic stroke (ICD 10 Codes I63 - I65, G46, I672, I675-I679, I694- I694) from June 1 2004 to December 31, 2009. Vascular risk factors, demographic factors, stroke severity, stroke subtype, results of investigations and stroke outcome were determined from review of the hospital record (paper copy and electronic record).

RESULTS

A total of 131 patients were identified, representing 4.6% of all stroke discharges. Over one-half of the patients were of "underdetermined cause" (Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment [TOAST] criteria), (1) mainly due to incomplete investigation. Cardioembolism (16%) was the second most common cause of stroke, followed by small vessel disease and stroke of other determined aetiology (both 12.2%). Confirmed large vessel atherosclerosis (6.1%) was the least common cause of stroke in this study population. The most common risk factors were hyperlipidaemia (45.8%), hypertension (42.7%), current tobacco smoking (42.7%) and obesity (36.6%). The indigenous Maori and Pacific Island people had a higher rate of stroke, at least double of other ethnicities. The in-hospital fatality rate was 3.1%. All surviving patients were discharged home. Eighty-six percent of the survivors were independent.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrates strokes of undetermined aetiology and cardioembolism were the most common cause of stroke in young people in South Auckland, and that Māori and Pacific Island people have a higher rate of stroke.