Stroke in the young: incidence and pattern in Benghazi, Libya

Out of 329 cases of stroke registered in Benghazi between November 1, 1983 and October 30, 1984, 63 patients comprising 32 males and 31 females belonged to the 15-40-year age group (stroke in the young). The annual age-specific crude incidence of stroke in the young was 39.3 and 40.3 per 100,000 for men and women, respectively. The age-adjusted incidence rate for both sexes for the age-specific (15-40 years) population was 47 per 100,000. The sex-dependent difference in the incidence was not statistically significant. These results emphasize that the high incidence of stroke in the young in Benghazi is not a reflection of the age distribution of the population. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, heart disease and hypercholesterolemia were important components of high stroke profile in the young. One or more risk factors were identified in 78% of total young stroke victims and in all the patients under the age of 30. Eight young stroke subjects died during the study period.