Effect of SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic on Trends in Stroke Hospitalizations and Associated Risk Factors in Non-SARS-CoV-2 Infection Patients

Author Type(s)

Student

Document Type

Abstract

Publication Date

4-25-2023

DOI

10.1212/WNL.0000000000203736

Journal Title

Neurology

Abstract

Objective:

To investigate stroke hospitalization and related risk factors before and after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

Background:

SARS-CoV-2 infection has shown to increase stroke and other neurological complications in patients. However, trends in stroke hospitalization among patients with non-infection has not been characterized.

Design/Methods:

A retrospective analysis on 2647 patients hospitalized for a neurological problem and negative SARS-CoV-2 infection between December 2018 and March 2021 was conducted. 610 patients had a primary problem of stroke and were categorized as pre-pandemic or pandemic if occurred prior to or after February 2020 respectively. 458 patients had an ischemic stroke while 114 had a hemorrhagic stroke. The prevalence of obesity, hypertension (HTN), diabetes (DM), stroke related paralysis, and death prior to and during the pandemic were compared.

Results:

There was no difference in the prevalence of overall stroke in the pre-pandemic and pandemic groups (24% vs 22%, p>0.05). Among those with stroke, no significant difference in prevalence of DM, HF, CKD, HTN was found between the pre-pandemic and pandemic timeline. However, there is a significant increase of patients who are obese presenting with stroke (5.7% vs 17%, p<0.0001); these patients also had a significant increase in stroke related paralysis pre-pandemic vs pandemic (55% vs 80%, p<0.05). In those with ischemic stroke, patients under 65 years increased (47% vs 56%, p=0.052) after the pandemic.

Conclusions:

Our study demonstrated an increased severity and incidence of obesity in stroke patients during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. We observed a trend toward younger patients diagnosed with ischemic stroke with reaching significance.

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