Clinical Summary

Adiposity and the Risk of Major Stroke Types

Vinod Rane, BS Pharm | Disclosures

Takeaway

Body mass index (BMI) was associated with a lower risk of intracerebral and subarachnoid haemorrhage but not with the risk of ischaemic stroke.
Waist circumference was associated with an increased risk of ischaemic stroke and intracerebral haemorrhage but not with the risk of subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Findings highlight the significance of considering body fat distribution when assessing stroke risk.

A large prospective cohort study of 490,071 participants (age 40-69 years) without stroke, identified from the UK Biobank (2006-2010).
Funding: Core grants to Clinical Trial Service Unit from the Medical Research Council and others.

During a median follow-up of 12 years, 7117, 1391, and 834 events of incident ischaemic strokes, intracerebral haemorrhages, and subarachnoid haemorrhages, respectively, were reported.
BMI was associated with a lower risk of (adjusted HR [aHR] per 5-unit higher BMI; 95% CI):
- intracerebral haemorrhage (0.85; 0.74 to 0.96); and
- subarachnoid haemorrhage (0.82; 0.69 to 0.96).
There was no association between BMI and the ischaemic stroke risk (aHR per 5-unit higher BMI 1.04; 95% CI 0.97 to 1.11).
Waist circumference was associated with a higher risk of (aHR per 10-cm higher waist circumference; 95% CI):
- intracerebral haemorrhage (1.17; 1.05 to 1.30); and
- ischaemic stroke (1.19; 1.13 to 1.25).
No association was observed between waist circumference and subarachnoid haemorrhage risk (aHR per 10-cm higher waist circumference 1.07; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.22).