Stroke in the Blida region (Algeria) in 2018: Incidence and mortality according to a population-based register

Abstract

Objective: Establishing the incidence and mortality data for stroke in the Blida region (Algeria) for 2018, through the setting up of a population-based register, was the objective of this study.
Methods: The World Health Organization criteria were used to define the stroke. Cerebral imaging was required to confirm stroke and its hemorrhagic or ischemic mechanism. The target population of the study was inhabitants of the region (wilaya) of Blida (Algeria) aged 25 and over. The ratios of overall incidence and mortality rates and age-specific stroke rates were considered to be relative risk (RR). The Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) was the ratio of standardized rates.
Results: A total of 828 stroke were reported, 85.1% ischemic and 13.5% hemorrhagic. The first-ever strokes constituted 70.5% of the strokes for which the occurrence was documented. The overall incidence rate of stroke for 2018, regardless of mechanism and occurrence, was estimated at 130.3/100000. The corresponding standardized rate for age was 138.1/100000. The incidence rate among men (143.6/100000) was significantly higher than that of women (116.9/100000): RR = 0.81 (95% CI: 0.71; 0.93). The median age of onset of stroke was 70 years. The case-fatality rate at 28 days was 22.1%. The overall mortality rate was 28.8/100000 while the corresponding standardized rate was 29.9/100000. The standardized mortality rate for men (34.5/100000) was significantly higher than for women (25.3/100000): SMR = 0.73 (95% CI: 0.54; 0.99).
Conclusion: The setting up of a register for stroke in the Blida region has made it possible to quantify the risk of stroke, occurrence and death, and to alert about the burden of disease attributable to this health problem