Stroke Incidence and Demographic Properties of Patients in Ardahan Province

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the demographic, etiologic, and clinical characteristics of patients with the diagnosis of stroke, as well as the incidence of stroke in Ardahan province, which is the gateway from our country to the Caucasus (Caucasia). Materials and Methods: This study has a descriptive design. The hospital records of patients who were diagnosed as having stroke or cerebrovascular disease between June 2015 and June 2016 in Ardahan State Hospital were retrospectively investigated. Results: In the defined one year period, 196 individuals were admitted to our hospital with the diagnosis of acute stroke. The incidence of stroke was 199/100.000 per person-year. Of these patients, 71.4% (n=140) were diagnosed as having ischemic stroke and 20.4% (n=40) had hemorrhagic stroke. The incidence of ischemic stroke was determined as 142/100.000 per person-year. The incidence of hemorrhagic stroke was determined as 41/100.000 per person-year. Ipsilateral muscle weakness was the most common symptoms in 78.1% (n=153) of the patients. Of the patients, 3.6% (n=7) were admitted to the hospital within 3 hours after the onset of symptoms and 75.5% (n=148) were brought to our hospital by ambulance Conclusion: Although the results of this study are generally compatible with other studies in the literature, they also show differences. The incidence of stroke in our country and the demographic characteristics of patients with stroke differ from other countries, at the same time there may be regional differences. For this reason, the data in this study are important because they provide information about our country and its northeastern region.