Objective:

The aim of this study is investigation of the etiological and demographical features of cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and their relationship with atherosclerosis risk factors.

Materials and Methods:

Twenty-four patients diagnosed as CVD and 18 healthy individuals with similar average age were included in this study. Fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, total cholesterol levels (TC), triglyceride levels (TG), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, body mass index (BMI), alcohol usage and cigarette smoking rates, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP respectively), rates of patients with atherosclerotic heart diseases in family history were compared.

Results:

The most common cause was determined as ischemia (n=19). Hypertension (n=17), diabetes (n=14), hyperlipidemia (n=20), cigarette smoking habit (n=7), atherosclerotic diseases (n=14) were determined in family histories of patients. FBG levels, TC levels, TG levels, SP and DP of diabetic and hypertensive patients with CVD were shown to be statistically significantly higher than levels of diabetic and hypertensive patients without CVD (p0.05, p0.06, p0.01, p0.001, p0.001, respectively). LDL-C levels were statistically significantly high in diabetic and hypertensive patients with CVD (p0.01). Alcohol usage and cigarette smoking habit of patients couldn’t be properly registered because of the cultural structure of the district. BMI was not statistically significant but high in diabetic patients diagnosed as CVD (p=0.108). Cardiovascular disease history in the families of patients was statistically significantly higher (r=0.102, p0.001).

Conclusion:

It was decided that there is a close relationship between CVD and atherosclerosis risk factors, and primary and secondary preventive methods of these risk factors will decrease morbidity and mortality related to CVD.

Keywords: Cerebral diseases, ischemic cerebral diseases, atherosclerotic cerebral diseases, atherosclerosis risk factor