Purpose: Lacunar infarcts is an important stroke subgroup with unique clinical and
pathologic features, but risk factors for lacunar infarcts have been rarely documented. To
address this matter, we studied 65 patients had lacunar infarction at Depa
rtment of
Neurology , Tishreen University Hospital , Lattakia , Syria , and 65 controls during the
period between May 2017 – May 2018 .
Methods: We obtained information concerning risk factor exposure status among the
patients by a structured questionnaire , we recorded age , sex , blood pressure , glucose ,
heart diseases , cigarette smoking , alcohol drinking , physical exercise for patiens and
controls .We do laboratory tests and ECG and echocardiography and CT brain or MRI .
Results: Significantly increasing the risk of lacunar stroke were hypertension
(P-value=0.0001) and (OR=9.9), Current smokers (P-value=0.002) and (OR=5.2), diabetes
(P-value=0.001) and (OR=5.3) , whereas frequent physical exercise was associated with a
significantly decreased risk) P-value=00001( and (OR=2.6). There was no risk of
lacunar stroke associated with heart disease (P-value=0.6) (OR=0.8) , high cholesterol (Pvalue=
1) and (OR=1) , alcohol drinking (P-value=0.7) and (OR=0.8).
Conclusions: Patients with hypertension or diabetes, current smokers, those who
have not heart disease, are at a higher risk of lacunar stroke, whereas those who undertake
regular physical exercise may be at lower risk.
