Risk factors and acute ischemic stroke subtypes.

BACKGROUND: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is influenced by gender, age, and the brain site affected. Better characterization of AIS is necessary for improving guidelines, prevention, and destination of resources. METHODS: Demographics, prestroke conditions, etiology, subtypes, specific hospital outcome, clinical and laboratory parameters, and mortality rates were prospectively registered in 105 southern Italian patients. RESULTS: AIS became more frequent in women than in men after age 65 years. Cryptogenic AIS decreased with age independently of sex and lesion site. Cerebellum-brainstem stroke was more prevalent in men, whereas anterior AIS was more frequent in women. There were no overall differences in 6- and 12-month survival rates based on site or sex; however, mortality rates were high after age 80 years. Chronic kidney disease was more frequent in patients with cerebellum-brainstem stroke, and its prevalence increased significantly with age independently of sex. Association of AIS with arterial hypertension, diabetes, and previous myocardial infarction increased with age, whereas that with active smoking decreased with age, independently of sex and site. CONCLUSION: Specific AIS etiology and blood characteristics associated independently to the youngest and oldest AIS patients, respectively. Chronic kidney disease was a specific predictor of cerebellum-brainstem AIS. AIS mortality showed peculiar association with the oldest patients.