Stroke and dyslipidaemia in Africa: a meta-analysis of case-control studies

Introduction: Stroke is an acute neurological disorder characterized by an abrupt reduction in blood flow to the brain, spinal cord, or retina. There is a complex relationship between stroke and dyslipidaemia. The objective of the study was to determine the likelihood of dyslipidaemia in African stroke patients. Methods and results: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies to determine the odds ratio of dyslipidaemia among stroke patients in Africa. It followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The sources of data included Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS, African Journal Online (AJOL), Research Square, SciELO, and medRxiv databases. The case-control studies eligible were conducted in Africa. The meta-analysis was carried out with Meta XL version 5.3, using the random effect model. Results: Ten studies met the eligibility criteria and the total sample size was 9599. The odds ratio of dyslipidaemia in all stroke cases in Africa was 1.61 (95% CI: 1.28–2.03) while that of ischaemic stroke and haemorrhagic stroke are 1.27 (0.54–2.98) and 1.71 (1.43–2.05) respectively. Conclusion: Although not particularly substantial, there is an association between dyslipidaemia and stroke in Africa.