Epidemiologic Depiction of Main Risk Factors of Brain Stroke in East Azerbaijan Province (The Northwest of Iran): A Hospital-Based Study

Background. Brain stroke is the second most common cause of death and the first cause of disability in Iran. Most stroke-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. This epidemiological study was conducted due to insufficient studies and generally with a small sample size in the country, aiming at identifying the main risk factors for stroke in East Azarbaijan province. Methods. This cross-sectional study was performed using data gathered from 5430 patients with a definite diagnosis of brain stroke registered in the Tabriz Stroke Registration System (TSR) between February 2015 and June 2021 in the referral hospitals of East Azerbaijan. Analyses were performed using STATA software (version 17). Descriptive statistics were calculated, and a chi-square test was run. It is worth mentioning that any P<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results. The epidemiological profile of the main risk factors was presented in the framework of clinical trials and findings, clinical risk factors, and behavioral risk factors associated with brain stroke. The mean age of the patients was 69.52±15.72 years; 47.15% were female and 52.85% were male. The most common risk factors include: having high blood pressure (67.81%), snoring (32.06%), diabetes mellitus (22.23%), ischemic heart disease (17.55%), aspiration pneumonia (15.32%), smoking (13.65%), atrial fibrillation (10.15%), and hyperlipidemia (9.12%). Ischemic brain stroke (68.20%) was more common than hemorrhagic brain stroke (31.80%). Smoking was significantly higher in men than women (P<0.001). The prevalence of hypertension (P<0.001), atrial fibrillation (P=0.001), and hyperlipidemia (P<0.001) was significantly higher in women than men. There was a direct and significant relationship between atrial fibrillation and age (P<0.001) and female gender (P=0.001). Conclusion. The main risk factors for brain stroke include high blood pressure, snoring, diabetes mellitus, ischemic heart disease, aspiration pneumonia, smoking, atrial fibrillation, and hyperlipidemia, respectively. Hypertension is the most common risk factor among patients, so screening for asymptomatic cases is recommended. Educating people about common clinical manifestations can help expedite their early referral and treatment.