Troubling Trends in Stroke Occurrence During Pregnancy

Data from Canada show increasing rates of pregnancy-related stroke, even after adjusting for maternal age.

Stroke can be a serious complication of pregnancy, with high rates of resulting disability and death. Despite the well-recognized prothrombotic nature of pregnancy, relatively few studies have examined trends in stroke during pregnancy in recent decades. These authors conducted a review of all pregnancies (through 42 days after delivery) in the Canadian Discharge Abstract Database for the years 2003 through 2016, examining trends in stroke incidence and risk factors for stroke.

During the study period, 524 stroke cases were identified from close to 4 million deliveries (incidence rate, 13.4 cases per 100,000). Of the stroke cases, 52% occurred postpartum. The case fatality rate was 8.1% for hemorrhagic strokes and 7.4% for ischemic strokes. …

Reviewing Author

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Seemant Chaturvedi, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardBayer Pharmaceuticals; Novartis

Grant/Research SupportNational Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Editorial BoardsNeurology; Stroke

Troubling Trends in Stroke Occurrence During Pregnancy

Topics

Reviewing Author