FREQUENCY OF STROKE IN HYPERTENSIVE PATIENTS

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of intracerebral hemorrhage in
hypertensive patients. Study design: Cross sectional study. Setting: This study was conducted
at Medical department of Peoples Medical College & Hospital Nawabshah, from 01-01-2012 to
31-12-2012. Material and methods: Admitted patient through emergency department with
history of hypertension more than two years, meeting the inclusion criteria taken consent from
attendant. Patient was referred for C.T scan brain presence of hyperdense area was considered
as intracerebral hemorrhage. Inclusive criteria were age >20 years, either sex and patients with
history of hypertension more than two year with any two or more sign and symptoms like sudden
unconsciousness or with hemiplegia, hemiparesis, dysarthria. Aphasia, cranial nerve palsies.
Exclusion criteria were age less than 20 years, normotensive patients with cerebral hemorrhage
and patients with traumatic hemorrhage. Results: Among 281 patients that had stroke, there
were 147 males and 134 females with a sex ratio males: female 1:1. Mean age of patients
admitted with intracerebral hemorrhage was 37.89 ± 7.33 years with an average age among
males and females was same. Duration of hypertension was greater than 20-25 years in most of
the patients nearly 63.7%. Patients with long duration of diabetes and hypertension presented
with intracerebral hemorrhage. Nearly all the patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were
smokers 145, only 2 patients were non smokers and nearly all had long history of smoking. The
127 patients who presented with intracerebral hemorrhage were obese. All risk factors were
statistically significant and were responsible for intracerebral hemorrhage. Conclusions:
Hypertension is a risk factor for intra cerebral hemorrhage. An effort should be made to control
blood pressure and other modifiable risk factors to reduce incidence of intra cerebral
hemorrhage and improve patient outcomes.