Association of Cardiovascular Disease Risk and Health-Related Behaviors in Stroke Patients

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 20; no. 4; p. 3693
• Main Authors: Lalo, Rezarta, Zekja, Ilirjana, Kamberi, Fatjona
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 19.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: Aged; Albania; Alcohol; Behavior; Blood pressure; Body mass index; Brain; Cardiovascular disease; Cardiovascular Diseases; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Developing countries; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Disease prevention; Health aspects; Health Behavior; Health promotion; Health risks; High density lipoprotein; Humans; Hyperlipidemia; Hypertension; LDCs; Lifestyles; Long-term care; Long-term care of the sick; Male; Medical care, Cost of; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Middle Aged; Mortality; Nutrition; Patients; Population; Probability; Rehabilitation; Risk; Risk assessment; Risk Factors; Risk taking; Sample size; Sampling techniques; Smoking; Sociodemographics; Stroke; Stroke (Disease); Stroke patients; Variables; Variance analysis; Albania; stroke patients; association; better health; cardiovascular disease risk; health-related behaviors
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20043693

Brain stroke continues to be a leading cause of mortality and disability in both developed and developing countries, with higher healthcare costs due to the long-term care and rehabilitation that it incurs. The purpose of the current study was to assess the association between brain stroke patients' health-related behaviors and their risk for cardiovascular disease. A cross-sectional study was carried out from March to August 2022 in the Vlora district regional hospital in Albania. The study included 150 out of 170 participants who met the necessary criteria, achieving an 88% response rate. Measurement tools included the Framingham Cardiovascular Risk Scale (FRS) and the Lifestyle Health Promotion Profile II (HPLP II). The patients' average age was 65.9 ± 9.04 years. Over 65% of the stroke patients suffer from diabetes, and 47% from hypertension. About 31% of them have a high risk of hyperlipidemia (mean TC = 179 ± 28.5). About 32% of the brain stroke patients manifested unhealthy behaviors, while 84% of them had a high risk of cardiovascular disease (FRS = 19.5 ± 0.53). Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk was statistically associated with stress management behaviors ( = 0.008; OR = 0.20; CI = 95%). This risk was highest in the over-70 age group as well as in men. Brain stroke patients had a high probability of developing CVD. For better health among stroke patients, new evidence-based behavior change approaches must be introduced into preventative and management programs.