Stress and alcohol are the primary immediate triggers for stroke in Indian men but sexual activity could also set off the life-threatening condition, a cross-sectional survey of patients conducted by AIIMS has found.
The survey, conducted on 290 stroke patients (210 men and 80 women) who visited the department of neurology from March 2012 to May 2013, showed that certain high-risk activities had triggered the stroke in 44% of them. Among men, this figure was higher at 48%.
A 'trigger' is the immediate cause that precipitates a stroke while 'risk factors' are lifestyle and health conditions that increase the chances of having a stroke in the long run.
"A small number of men, 5 out of 210 (2.4%), said they had sexual intercourse about two hours before the stroke," said Dr Ashish Sharma, who led the study. Previous studies have shown that sex induces transient increases in heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels which might put pressure on brain tissues, precipitating a haemorrhagic stroke or bleeding in susceptible men.
Dr Sharma said none of the women patients reported sexual activity prior to the stroke. "It is difficult to analyse the cause and effect of sexual activity in precipitating stroke because many patients may not share the exact details," said another senior doctor.
Stroke, a condition traditionally associated with old age, is increasingly affecting young and middle-aged people. According to the study, trigger factors were mainly found in patients below 60 years of age. The presence of a trigger also made the stroke more severe, the study found.
Of the 48% of men who reported certain triggers for their stroke, 19% said they were nervous, distressed or scared in the week preceding the stroke due to stressful events. Another 15% said they had more than four standard drinks in the 24 hours preceding the stroke or equal to 15 standard drinks in the week before the event. About 9% said they suffered from infection in the preceding days.
Dr Kameshwar Prasad, professor and head of neurology department at AIIMS, said the findings could help predict when a stroke is most likely to occur in susceptible individuals, such as diabetics and hypertensive patients. "The study could help us develop a comprehensive stroke prevention programme which may include anger and stress management. In case of clinical infections, aggressive treatment of infections can be adopted to check the onset of stroke," said Dr Prasad.
With increase in the number of stroke cases in the recent past, particularly among youngsters, the neurology division of the institute conducted a cross-sectional survey on stroke patients to identify high-risk activities which precipitate the life-threatening situation.
A major new analysis from the Global and Regional Burden of Stroke in the 1990-2010 study, published in The Lancet, found there has been a sharp 25% increase in the number of stroke cases among people aged between 20 and 64 years over the past 20 years worldwide. Strokes in this age group now make up 31% of the total number of cases, compared to 25% before 1990. The overall amount of disability and illness and premature death caused by stroke is projected to be more than double worldwide by 2030.
The survey, conducted on 290 stroke patients (210 men and 80 women) who visited the department of neurology from March 2012 to May 2013, showed that certain high-risk activities had triggered the stroke in 44% of them. Among men, this figure was higher at 48%.
A 'trigger' is the immediate cause that precipitates a stroke while 'risk factors' are lifestyle and health conditions that increase the chances of having a stroke in the long run.
"A small number of men, 5 out of 210 (2.4%), said they had sexual intercourse about two hours before the stroke," said Dr Ashish Sharma, who led the study. Previous studies have shown that sex induces transient increases in heart rate, blood pressure and adrenaline levels which might put pressure on brain tissues, precipitating a haemorrhagic stroke or bleeding in susceptible men.
Dr Sharma said none of the women patients reported sexual activity prior to the stroke. "It is difficult to analyse the cause and effect of sexual activity in precipitating stroke because many patients may not share the exact details," said another senior doctor.
Stroke, a condition traditionally associated with old age, is increasingly affecting young and middle-aged people. According to the study, trigger factors were mainly found in patients below 60 years of age. The presence of a trigger also made the stroke more severe, the study found.
Of the 48% of men who reported certain triggers for their stroke, 19% said they were nervous, distressed or scared in the week preceding the stroke due to stressful events. Another 15% said they had more than four standard drinks in the 24 hours preceding the stroke or equal to 15 standard drinks in the week before the event. About 9% said they suffered from infection in the preceding days.
Dr Kameshwar Prasad, professor and head of neurology department at AIIMS, said the findings could help predict when a stroke is most likely to occur in susceptible individuals, such as diabetics and hypertensive patients. "The study could help us develop a comprehensive stroke prevention programme which may include anger and stress management. In case of clinical infections, aggressive treatment of infections can be adopted to check the onset of stroke," said Dr Prasad.
With increase in the number of stroke cases in the recent past, particularly among youngsters, the neurology division of the institute conducted a cross-sectional survey on stroke patients to identify high-risk activities which precipitate the life-threatening situation.
A major new analysis from the Global and Regional Burden of Stroke in the 1990-2010 study, published in The Lancet, found there has been a sharp 25% increase in the number of stroke cases among people aged between 20 and 64 years over the past 20 years worldwide. Strokes in this age group now make up 31% of the total number of cases, compared to 25% before 1990. The overall amount of disability and illness and premature death caused by stroke is projected to be more than double worldwide by 2030.
