A group of researchers from Qatar has had their research about the impact of stroke on the Qatari adult population published in an international scientific journal.
The study, ‘Stroke in the Adult Qatari Population: A Hospital-based Retrospective Cohort Study’, was published last month by PLOS One, a reputable peer-reviewed open access scientific journal.
Dr Yahia Zakaria Bashier Imam, a Consultant with the Neurosciences Institute at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and lead investigator of the study, said their research is significant as it is a first-of-its-kind.
Stroke ranks after only heart disease as leading cause of death worldwide. Major risk factors for stroke include hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obesity. Diabetes and high blood pressure are common among Qatari stroke patients (more than two-thirds of the studied patients were diabetic or had high blood pressure) and might be a contributing factor to the increasing incidence of stroke in Qatar, according to Dr Imam.
Qatari women, in particular, were found to have an increased risk of recurrent strokes, disability, and higher mortality, compared with males. Increased age and risk factors may be contributing factors but this warrants further research.
This study is significant as it lays the foundation for future research on the incidence of stroke in Qataris. We hope it will act as an impetus for further investigation of this population group and specifically the identification of potentially modifiable risk factors and preventive strategies.
The study, which included researchers from the HMC Neuroscience Institute and Medical Research Center, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar, and the University of Alberta in Canada, involved a retrospective review of all Qatari adults admitted because of stroke at HMC during a five-year period.
HMC is the sole provider of acute stroke care in Qatar and in recent years, Stroke Service has undergone an enormous transformation, said another member of the research group, Dr Naveed Akhtar, Senior Consultant Neurologist and Head of Stroke Service of HMC. Since 2014, the service has twice been accredited by the Joint Commission International, endorsing the quality and safety of the care provided to patients,
Dr Akhtar added that Hamad General Hospital is fully equipped for acute stroke care with the Stroke Service’s multidisciplinary team able to provide thrombolysis and interventional thrombectomy for patients who meet the criteria. Since the launch of the Neuroscience Institute, the service has cared for over 12,000 patients, 19% Qatari Nationals.
HMC offers stroke patients a very high standard of care. However, epidemiological studies focusing on stroke in Qatar are scarce and there is very limited research on the stroke characteristics in Qataris compared to other populations. Dr Akhtar said they hope that their research paves the way for more study into this important topic.
