Incidence of first-time stroke in Taif, Saudi Arabia

Introduction: The majority of stroke survivors suffer from physical and mental disabilities. This causes social and economic burdens, and it is regarded as a major source of morbidity and the second leading cause of death worldwide. This study aims to quantify the incidence of cerebrovascular stroke in the Taif region, identify risk factors for CVA, and raise awareness about modifiable risk factors. Methods: Over 17 months period (February 2020 to June 2021), all first-stroke patients admitted to Alhada military hospital and King Faisal hospital in Taif region were included. Stroke patients from outside the Taif region were excluded from participating in the study. Age, gender, domicile, employment, history of hypertension, diabetes, cardiac diseases, smoking, previous history of stroke or transient ischemic episodes were all obtained from the patient's files. Also, a history of medications, particularly anticoagulants and contraceptive tablets if a female in childbearing age. Results: Overall, the study included 404 patients, 40.6% of whom were females and 59.4% of whom were males, with a mean age of 64.0 +/- 14.9 years. The most common type of CVA was ischemic stroke (78.5%), followed by TIA (11.9%), and hemorrhagic stroke (7.2%). Slurred speech was the most commonly reported chief symptom among stroke survivors (23%), followed by dizziness (13.6%), left-sided weakness (10.9%), and right-sided weakness (10.9%). The incidence of stroke is increasing in patients who had chronic diseases like hypertension which is 62.6% survival had, and the second most common lead to stroke and decreased elasticity of vessels is diabetes mellitus 60.4% followed by ischemic heart disease 9.4% and smoking 5.4%. Conclusions: Finally, using a prospective clinical study, the incidence of first time CVA in Taif was higher in males (about 59.4%) than in females (40.6%). That indicates a strong relation between Diabetes which represents 60.4%, Hypertension was 62.6% and age 18-55. We suggest running campaigns that target people with these risk factors to reduce the possibility of CVA occurrence.