Conversely male subjects were more significantly predisposed to heavy alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking compared with female participants as shown in Table 1. Only 6% of strokes were attributable to probable cardio-embolic causes. Figure 1 depicts the risk factor profile per subject. The median cumulative number of modifiable traditional risk factors of stroke er patient was 3 (0 – 6). Figure 1 Graph showing the cumulative number of modifiable risk factors per patient. The commonest combination of risk factors was hypertension, Ibrutinib order hypercholesterolemia and physical inactivity. The 3 patients with no modifiable

risk factors of stroke were all elderly male subjects. ECG was performed in 118 (45%) study subjects. 77 (65%) had evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy according to the Sokolow’s criteria. In-patient outcomes of stroke The median duration of hospitalisation was 6 days [Interquartile range (IQR), 4–9 days; range, 1–42 days]. Overall case fatality during hospitalisation was 43.4%; with fatality for ischaemic stroke being

17.5% and that for intra-cerebral haemorrhage of 70.2% (p=0.0001). Death occurred after a median of 5 days (IQR, 2–8 days; range of 1–21 days). 35% of those who died had clinical evidence of aspiration pneumonitis. As shown in Table 2, blood glucose, urea, creatinine, serum uric acid, HDL-cholesterol and white cell count at admission were significantly higher in patients who died than those find more who survived. Furthermore patients who died had significantly depressed level of consciousness, higher NIHSS, faster pulse rate and higher diastolic blood Florfenicol pressure than those who survived. Table 2 Admission clinical and laboratory findings according to outcome of stroke A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the risk of

death was significantly predicted by severity of stroke and hyperuricaemia (Table 3). Finally, among patients who were discharged a significant proportion severe functional limitation as depicted in Figure 2. Table 3 Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis of clinical and laboratory parameters associated with in-patient mortality after stroke. Figure 2 Graph showing the Rankin score of functional limitation among stroke patients on discharge from hospital. Discussion Stroke is a preventable cardiovascular disorder with well-recognised risk factors. The identification and appropriate modification of these risk factors are the targets of both primary and secondary preventive strategies.12,14 The objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of the conventional risk factors, types and outcomes of stroke in Kumasi, Ghana. The main observations in the present study were the following: firstly, there was a high prevalence of hypertension (85%) overall among stroke patients in Ghana. Secondly stroke patients had a median of at least three modifiable risk factors, which were not been managed prior to the onset of stroke.