Lipid profile in non-diabetic stroke--a study of 100 cases.

OBJECTIVE To study serum lipid profile in patients with cerebrovascular disease and to determine significant correlation between them. To ascertain the effect of age and sex on serum lipid profile. DESIGN Case Control study. SETTING Single Tertiary care centre in Southern India. PARTICIPANTS Total of 100 patients of which 80 were cases of completed stroke (ischaemic--50 and haemorrhagic --30) and the remaining 20 were controls. Males accounted for 71 cases. All subjects were adult patients. Patients with suspected emboli of cardiac origin and diabetics (Type 1 and 2) were excluded from the study. None of the patients were on diet or other modification that would lower plasma lipid levels. RESULTS 32 patients had elevated serum total cholesterol levels, of which 81.3% had ischaemic stroke and the rest haemorrhagic stroke. 10 patients had elevated serum triglyceride levels, of which 80% had ischaemic stroke and the rest haemorrhagic stroke. 33 patients had elevated serum low density lipoprotein levels of which 75.8% had ischaemic stroke whereas the remaining had haemorrhagic stroke. CONCLUSION A statistically positive correlation was found between serum Total cholesterol, Triglycerides, LDL levels and the risk of stroke.