Diabetes increases risk of stroke 2- to 4-fold

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Tuesday, June 01, 2004 3:00 am Email this article
"Diabetes is a strong risk factor for ischemic stroke," according to a population study from the University of Minnesota.

(Ischemic stroke is the most common kind of stroke, caused by an interruption in the flow of blood to the brain as from a clot blocking a blood vessel.)

After adjusting for age, sex, race, community, smoking, and education level, the relative risk of ischemic stroke was:

• 1.2 times greater for nondiabetics with a 7.2 ??IU/mL (50 pmol/liter) increase in fasting insulin levels
• 1.7 times greater for an increase of 0.11 in waist-to-hip ratio
• 3.7 times greater in people with diabetes

After adjusting for additional risk factors the relative risk of ischemic stroke was:

• 1.1 times greater for nondiabetics with a 7.2 ??IU/mL (50 pmol/liter) increase in fasting insulin levels
• 1.1 times greater for an increase of 0.11 in waist-to-hip ratio
• 2.2 times greater in people with diabetes

The study followed 12,000 adults, aged 45- to 64-years-old, for 6 to 8 years.

REFERENCE

Folsom A, Rasmussen M, Chambless L, Howard G, Cooper L, Schmidt M, Heiss G. Prospective associations of fasting insulin, body fat distribution, and diabetes with risk of ischemic stroke. the atherosclerosis risk in communities (aric) study investigators. Diabetes Care. 1999 Jul, 22(7):1077-83.

Articles on the same subject can be found here:

• Diabetes

• Stroke, ischemic