Stroke in Young Subjects at the Hospital of Mali

Abstract

Introduction: Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. In Mali, very few studies have been carried out on stroke in young subjects. Nowadays, stroke is increasingly seen in young subjects. Hence the need to identify risk factors in order to adopt appropriate preventive measures. Method: We carried out a retrospective descriptive study in the internal medicine department at the Hospital of Mali in Bamako from January 1 to December 31, 2022, in patients admitted for stroke confirmed by brain imaging (Scanner or Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging). Sociodemographic characteristics, medical history and biological parameters were recorded and analyzed to identify risk factors in patients aged 15-45 years. Results: A total of 44 patients out of a total of 446 hospitalized in the department were analyzed, of whom 31.8% (15/44) were young subjects. The majority (71.42%) had ischemic stroke compared with 14.28% with hemorrhagic stroke. The difference was statistically significant (p<0.001).Hypertension was the most frequent vascular risk factor compared with elderly subjects (p=0.045). Other risk factors such as obesity and smoking were also associated with young age with an Odd Ratio (OR) of 3.25 and 2.0 respectively; however, these associations were not statistically significant (p>0.05). The main causes of stroke in young subjects were atherosclerotic plaques and emboligenic heart disease. Undetermined causes accounted for 40.1%. Conclusion: Stroke prevention in young subjects involves screening for risk factors, especially hypertension. The vital prognosis depends on the cause of the stroke, but the functional prognosis remains better than that of the elderly.