Young-onset stroke in the UAE: A single-centre retrospective analysis of risk factors and outcomes.
Hypertension is the most common comorbidity in young-onset stroke patients in the United Arab Emirates
Young-onset stroke in the UAE: A single-centre retrospective analysis of risk factors and outcomes.
Young-onset stroke represents a growing public health concern, yet data from the United Arab Emirates (United Arab Emirates) remain limited.
This study aimed to examine the risk factors and clinical outcomes associated with young-onset stroke in the United Arab Emirates.
A retrospective chart review was conducted on 419 patients aged below 50 years who were admitted at Al Qassimi Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, with a diagnosis of stroke between 2016 and 2022.
nearly half had hypertension, the top comorbidity in this group
Ischemic stroke was the most common subtype (50.12%), followed by intracerebral hemorrhage (27.21%) and non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (22.67%).
Only 0.24% of patients underwent mechanical thrombectomy, and 9.41% received intravenous thrombolysis.
The overall mortality rate was 12.68%, with coronary artery disease significantly associated with death (p < 0.001).
South Asian patients were 2.19 times more likely to have large-artery atherosclerosis compared to non-South Asians (95% CI: 1.11-4.30, p = 0.02).
Young-onset stroke in the United Arab Emirates is characterized by a high burden of modifiable cardiovascular risk factors, particularly hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Targeted preventive strategies and region-specific research are essential to reduce disease burden and improve patient outcomes.