Volume 13 Issue 8
Prevalence and risk factors of stroke in young adults in Quetta Pakistan
1Dr. Masood Ahmad, 2Dr. Saqeel Ahmed, 3Dr. Sadiq Ullah, 4Dr. Khlil Khan, 5Dr. Fazila Noor, 6Prof, Dr. Raz Muhmmad Kakar, 7Sana Ullah Kakar
1Resident of Neurology Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta (Co- Responding
2MBBS Bolan Medical College Quetta
3MBBS Bolan Medical College Quetta
4MBBS Shandong First Medical University, China
5General Physician Medicine Unite II Sandaman Provincial Hospital Quetta
6HOD Department of Neurosurgery Bolan Medical Collage Hospital Principal Bolan Medical Collage
7Balochistan Institute of psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences BIPBS Quetta
Corresponding Author: Dr. Masood Ahmad, Resident of Neurology Bolan Medical Complex Hospital Quetta
ABSTRACT
Background: Stroke is increasingly affecting young adults in low- and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, data on stroke prevalence and its risk factors in individuals aged 18–45 are scarce, particularly in underserved regions like Quetta.
Objectives: to assess the related modifiable and non-modifiable risk variables and ascertain the prevalence of stroke in Quetta, Pakistan’s young adult population.
Methods: At a tertiary care hospital, a six-month cross-sectional study was carried out. Using standardized questionnaires, information was gathered from 80 stroke patients between the ages of 18 and 45. SPSS version 25 was used for descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and t-tests.
Results: Half of the participants were men, and the other half were women. 33.8% of strokes were ischemic, 27.5% were hemorrhagic, and 38.8% were unknown. Common risk factors included high blood pressure and smoking (56.3%). Medical comorbidities and stroke type were shown to be significantly correlated (p=0.043).
Conclusion: Modifiable risk factors such as smoking and hypertension significantly contribute to stroke in young adults. Immediate public health interventions are needed to address these risks and improve stroke outcomes in this population.
Keywords: Young adults, Stroke, Risk factors, Ischemic stroke, Hemorrhagic stroke
