Profile of stroke in Bahrain

OBJECTIVE: As no report on the pattern of stroke in Bahrain is available, we sought to determine the stroke types, the annual incidence rate, and the risk factors associated with different types of stroke in Bahrain nationals and expatriates in Bahrain.

METHODS: Case records of patients admitted with stroke from January 1995 to December 1995 in a tertiary level hospital, the only one with a well established neurology service in Bahrain were reviewed. Diagnosis of stroke and its type were confirmed by clinical and computerized tomography of brain. Risk factor analysis was made based on clinical, laboratory and other relevant investigational data.

RESULTS: The majority of strokes occurred in middle and late age Bahrainis. Males predominated in all types of strokes, except in the hemorrhagic type, among the Bahrainis. The crude annual incidence rate was 57 per 100,000 Bahrainis. The frequency of stroke types in Bahrainis was cerebral infarction in 53%, cerebral hemorrhage in 30% and unspecified in 16.5%; as against 76%, 10% and 15% in non Bahrainis. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was rare (2%). Hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease and smoking were common risk factors for ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

CONCLUSION: Stroke incidence in Bahraini nationals is similar to that in developing countries and from other parts of the Arabian Peninsula. The differences observed in age and gender distribution and in the stroke types between Bahraini nationals and non Bahraini expatriates is most likely a reflection of the demographic structure existing in Bahrain.