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| Stroke risk highest in young and newly diagnosed diabetes |
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17 February 2006
Newly diagnosed individuals with diabetes have a substantially increased risk of stroke, with younger patients at greatest risk, study results suggest.
A research team led by Dr Thomas Jeerakathil, from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, examined data for 12,272 patients with newly diagnosed diabetes, identified using health databases from the province of Saskatchewan. After standardisation for age, the stroke rate in these patients was 1025 per 100,000 person-years of follow-up, which equated to a 2.05-fold increase in stroke risk for newly diagnosed diabetics compared with the general population of the province. "The findings suggest some of the cardiovascular effects of diabetes are already established at the time of diagnosis, and aggressive prevention is justified in this patient group," said Dr Jeerakathil.
In a separate study, investigators from the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, USA, led by Dr Brett Kissela, also assessed the effect of diabetes on stroke risk. The team accessed the medical records of 2432 ischaemic stroke patients who were hospitalised within five counties in the Greater Cincinnati area. Stroke risk was substantially raised in patients with diabetes, compared with those who did not have the condition, but was especially high in patients under the age of 55 years, the team found. In African Americans under the age of 45 years, the stroke risk was up to nine-times higher in those with than without diabetes, while White patients with diabetes had a stroke risk that was increased by 17-, eight-, and six-fold at ages of up to 34, 44, and 54 years, respectively, compared with non-diabetics in the same age brackets. Notably, 82% of stroke patients with diabetes also had high blood pressure, compared with 66% of those who did not have diabetes.
"In essence, while diabetes means a higher stroke risk at every age, this risk is especially prominent among young people who have diabetes diagnosed at an early age," Dr Kissela concluded. "They need to be especially diligent about treating high blood pressure, which will lower their risk for stroke."
Reference:
American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference: Kissimmee, Florida, USA; 16-18 February 2006
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