Epidemiological Profile and Risk Factors of Stroke in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

INTRODUCTION: Stroke remains a most important public health apprehension in India, particularly in underserved regions. Understanding local stroke epidemiology and associated risk factors is essential for developing targeted interventions. This study aims to evaluate the distribution of stroke types, assess associated risk factors, and analyse clinical features and outcomes among stroke patients admitted to a tertiary care hospital. METHODS: This descriptive, cross-sectional study included 148 stroke patients admitted between January 2023 and December 2024. Data were collected retrospectively from medical records. Demographic information, stroke subtypes, risk factors, clinical features, and outcomes were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 27 (Released 2020; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York). Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and descriptive statistics were applied. RESULTS: Intracerebral haemorrhage was the most common stroke type (85.1%), followed by epidural haemorrhage (8.8%), subdural haemorrhage (5.4%), and subarachnoid haemorrhage (0.7%). Hypertension (45.3%) and diabetes mellitus (50%) were the most prevalent risk factors; both were significantly associated with haemorrhagic stroke (p < 0.001). The mean age was 65.15 ± 7.87 years, and the average Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score at presentation was 9.49 ± 2.14. No significant gender-based difference in stroke subtype distribution was observed (P=0.412). CONCLUSION: This study concluded that there is a predominance of intracerebral haemorrhage among hospitalised stroke patients in a tertiary care setting in Moradabad, with hypertension and diabetes mellitus emerging as the most significant and common modifiable risk factors.