Stroke incidence rates among black residents of Harare--a prospective community-based study.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the crude incidence rates of cerebrovascular accidents among the black residents of Harare. DESIGN: Prospective community-based study. SETTING: Black residents of Harare, Zimbabwe. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and seventy-three 'first-ever' strokes prospectively identified over a 12-month period. MAIN OUTCOME STUDY FACTORS: Cerebrovascular accident first-week fatality rate; age- and sex-related incidence. RESULTS: The crude incidence rate was estimated to be 30.7 per 100000 (95% confidence interval 27.1-34.4) and the standardised rate was 68 per 100000. Fifty-one per cent of stroke victims were below the age of 54 years. Thirty-five per cent of patients died within 1 week of the stroke. Overall, the age-specific rates for both sexes rose with age, with the rates for women being higher at all age strata except for the group 45-54 years. CONCLUSION: With a standardised rate of 68 per 100000 and a first-week mortality rate of 35%, stroke must now be considered an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the population.