| title: | Epidemiology of Stroke in Tartu, Estonia. Cardiovascular risk factors in young stroke patients. |
|---|---|
| reg no: | ETF5537 |
| project type: | Estonian Science Foundation research grant |
| subject: |
3. Medical Sciences |
| status: | accepted |
| institution: | TU Faculty of Medicine |
| head of project: | Janika Kõrv |
| duration: | 01.01.2003 - 31.12.2006 |
| description: | The main aim of the study is to determine the incidence and case-fatality of first-ever stroke in Tartu, Estonia, to compare the results with other studies and previous epidemiological studies performed in Tartu 1970-1973 and 1991-1993. The second part of the study is to find out the risk profile of the stroke patients. Special attention is paid to younger patients, who have experienced stroke before the age of 65. Disability at early ages decreases the number of working individuals in the population and increases socio-economic expenses. The cause of stroke often remains unknown in younger patients. However, determining the cause is always the most important part of the diagnosis to prevent recurrence of stroke and other cardiovascular complications in future. Obtaining information about cardiovascular risk factors in a young patient is needed to make the secondary prevention of stroke more effective. In addition to "older" risk factors, the "new" risk factors for stroke are one possibility to learn more about the causes of stroke among young patients. Therefore, homocysteine and oxidized low density lipoprotein concentrations in blood will be analyzed. The analysis of stroke subtypes will indirectly provide information about the prevalence of stroke risk factors among the population. With the help of the stroke registry it is possible to determine the incidence and case-fatality of first-ever stroke in Tartu and also study the risk profile of the patients. Since two studies of stroke epidemiology have already been carried out in Estonia, it is possible to analyze the temporal trends of stroke incidence and mortality over the past 30 years and therefore indirectly to estimate the effectiveness of cardiovascular prevention in Estonia. The possibility to specify the causes of stroke in young adults in Estonia makes this study even more valuable. |
| project group | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| no | name | institution | position | |
| 1. | Sulev Haldre | University of Tartu, Dep of Neurology and Neurosur | associate professor | |
| 2. | Janika Kõrv | TU Faculty of Medicine | assistant professor | |
| 3. | Mai Roose | University of Tartu, Dept of Neurology and Neurosu | associate professor | |
| 4. | Riina Vibo | University of Tartu, Dept of Neurology and Neurosu | Ph.D. student | |