METABOLIC SYNDROME AMONG STROKE PATIENTS IN DUHOK/ KURDISTAN/ IRAQ

Abstract

ABSTRACTBackground: The metabolic syndrome is a highly prevalent disorder of various vascular riskfactors including obesity, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and hyper lipidaemia. The disorderhas been well associated with cerebral stroke and heart disease. Since a former study of riskfactors among hospitalized stroke patients had been done in Duhok, this study has beendesigned to assess the presence of metabolic syndrome among those stroke victims.Patients and Methods: The study reassessed a previous case series study comprising 950patients who presented with stroke and were admitted to the Neurology Ward at AzadiTeaching Hospital/Duhok, between January 2014-December 2014. Only 392 patients(41.3%)were found to satisfy the criteria of metabolic syndrome and therefore included in this study;they came from Duhok City and many other cities and towns around including NinevehGovernorate. A suitable format sheet had been designed to document data from the relevantrecords. Data were analyzed using one sample z test of proportion and Chi square test. A p ≤0.05 was considered significant.Results: Out of the studied 950 patients, only 392patients; 254females (64.8%) and 138males(35.2%)were found to have at least three or more risk factors of the MetabolicSyndrome. Ages for males and females ranged from 26-98years, (65.1±12.9) and35-105(64.5±12.1) respectively. The patients were multiethnic and the most frequent riskfactors, in a decreasing frequency, were obesity/overweight 373 (95.2%), hypertension323(82.4%), diabetes mellitus273 (69.6%), and hyperlipidaemia200 (51%).The majority of caseswere of the ischemic type, 337 (86%).Conclusions: In reference to the general population, the prevalence of MetS among CerebralStroke sufferers is high especially among females with relatively high prevalence of ischemicstrokes in both genders.