The effects of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, transient ischemic attack and smoking on stroke in Chinese people]

Clinical findings and cranial CT scan identified stroke in 315 admitted patients at Taichung Veterans General Hospital from January 1, 1989 to December 31, 1989. Hemorrhage was found in 137 cases and infarction in 178 cases (thrombosis in 124 cases, embolism in 54 cases). Most cases with stroke (72.4%) were distributed in ages between 55 and 74 years. The mean age of patient with cerebral infarction was 64.8 years, which was about 3.3 years higher than those with cerebral hemorrhage (mean age 61.5 years). The control group consisted of 117 persons (matched in age and sex) who had no history of stroke. In comparison of the five risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, transient ischemic attack, and smoking) between the patients and the controls, we found that cerebral thrombosis was significantly associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking; cerebral embolism with hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and transient ischemic attack; and cerebral hemorrhage with hypertension only.