Seasonal And Monthly Variation Of Stroke And Its Subtypes In The North Indian Population

A seasonal variation in stroke has been reported in various parts of the world. India is a tropical country with various seasons that may influence the occurrence of stroke. To determine the seasonal and monthly variation of stroke and its subtypes in the north Indian population. From 4th July 2017 to 10th May 2019, consecutive ischemic stroke (IS) and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) patients admitted to the Emergency and Neurology Department of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi were recruited in this ongoing cross-sectional study. Seasons were categorized as: spring (March to May), summer (June to August), autumn (September to November), and winter (December to February). The entire statistical analysis was conducted in STATA version 13.0 software. A total of 410 stroke patients (243-IS, 167-ICH) have been recruited in the till date with a mean age of 53.96±15.82 for IS and 55.95±12.03 for ICH. Overall stroke was found to be most prominent in winters (31.46%) with the highest occurrence observed in the month of December (13.02%). Occurrence of IS was most in winters (27.69%) closely followed by summer (25.21%) and spring (23.97). Occurrence of ICH was most in winters (38.18%) followed by autumn (21.82%), spring (21.21%) and summers (18.79%).Significant seasonal differences in the occurrence of IS and ICH were observed in males (p=0.03). Our study suggests that the incidence of stroke is highest in the winters in north India. These findings may help in developing strategies for preventing stroke.