Comparisons of Risk Factors for Intracerebral Hemorrhage versus Ischemic Stroke in Chinese Patients

Abstract

Background: Chinese populations have a higher stroke incidence, a higher proportion of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), and a lower proportion of ischemic stroke (IS) as compared with white populations. The reasons are not fully understood. Methods: To evaluate the differences of major risk factors between ICH and IS in Chinese stroke patients, we analysed acute ICH and IS patients consecutively recruited in National Taiwan University Hospital Stroke Registry from 2006 to 2011. We used multiple logistic regression models to examine the associations of risk factors with ICH vs. IS. Also, we conducted subgroup analyses when a strongly significant interaction was detected. Results: We included a total of 1,373 ICH and 4,953 IS patients. ICH patients were younger than IS patients (mean age 61 vs. 68 years, p < 0.001), but there was no significant difference in gender (males 62 vs. 59%, p = 0.064). A logistic regression model adjusted for age, gender, and other major risk factors showed that both hypertension (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.74-2.87) and alcohol intake (OR 1.44, 95% CI 1.16-1.77) had significantly stronger associations with ICH than IS, whereas diabetes, atrial fibrillation, ischemic heart disease, hyperlipidemia, smoking, and transient ischemic attack were less associated with ICH than IS. In subgroup analyses, the association of hypertension with ICH vs. IS was more marked in younger patients. Conclusion: Hypertension and alcohol intake are more strongly associated with ICH than IS in Chinese stroke patients, especially in younger patients.