Original Contributions A Prospective Community-Based Study of Stroke in Warsaw, Poland

Background and Purpose Poland is a country with high morbidity and mortality rates from cardiovascular diseases. No recent studies have evaluated the contribution of cerebrovascular diseases to this morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to accurately determine stroke incidence rates in Warsaw, Poland. Methods A 2-year prospective and population-based stroke registry was maintained for health care units 2 and 3 in Warsaw, Poland (population, 182 285). Case subjects were ascertained by surveying hospital admissions, outpatient visits, and death certificates. Results During the 2 years of the study (1991 to 1992), 633 cases of first-event strokes were registered, 462 of which were first ever in a lifetime. Computed tomography or necropsy was performed in 72% of first-ever stroke cases. The crude annual incidence rate for first-ever stroke was 127/100 000 (95% confidence intervals, 111 to 145); the rate standardized to the