A Retrospective Study on Clinical Profile of Stroke in Young and Elderly between 2012-2013 in GMERS Medical College and Hospital, Gandhinagar, Gujarat

Aim: The present study was conducted know the difference in clinical profile in young and elderly stroke patients, by knowing this we can help young physicians to combat this deadly and disabling disease in effective manner.

Background: Stroke is a devastating and disabling cerebrovascular disease with significant amount of residual deficit leading on to economic loss. The cerebrovascular stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity & mortality in adult life. Indian studies have shown a stroke prevalence of 471.58/100000 population. Stroke mostly occurs in elderly people. Risk factors for stroke differ between young and elderly patients.

Methods: This is a retrospective study of all new patients managed for stroke in the medical ward of GMERS medical college and hospital, Gandhinagar, Gujarat from January1, 2012 to December 31, 2013. We studied difference in clinical presentation, risk factors, neurological presentation, pattern of brain strokes, areas of brain affected as per CT scan findings in both the groups GMERS medical college and hospital Gandhinagar.

Results: Incidence of stroke in elderly (
45 years) was higher than young (<45 years) patients with male predominance in both the groups. Most common clinical presentation from both age groups was hemiplegia (75% in young vs. 72.1% in elderly). Common risk factors in were Hypertension and past h/o Cerebrovascular disease (25%) and smoking (16.6%) in young and Hyepertension T (37.1%), dyslipidemia and smoking (14.3%) in elderly. Most common type of stroke in both age groups was ischemic (83.3% in young vs. 73.2% in elderly), followed by Hemorrhagic. Common sites of hemorrhage in young and elderly were lobar and thalamoganglionic. Most common infarction site in both age groups is MCA territory.

Conclusion: The cerebrovascular stroke was more in elderly with hypertension and smoking was the most common risk factor in both age groups and most common type was ischemic. Most common site of hemorrhage in elderly was thalamoganglionic followed by lobar. Most common site of infarct in both age groups was area supplied by middle cerebral artery. More research is required to address stroke pattern in young and elderly to combat this deadly and disabling disease.