This study aims to investigate urban-rural differences in characteristics and risk factors of
ischemic stroke in northern China.The present cross-sectional study was based on the High-risk Population Screening and Intervention Project for
Stroke. The cluster sampling method was used to select urban and rural screening sites in northern China. By collecting information and screening the data, patients with
ischemic stroke were obtained and a control group with similar gender, age, and regional distribution was selected among the nonischemic
stroke patients. Then, the demographic and risk factors of patients with
ischemic stroke were described and analyzed.The prevalence of
ischemic stroke in northern China was 2.88%, with a greater prevalence in rural areas than in urban areas (3.32% vs 2.43%), and a greater prevalence in males than in females (3.06% vs 2.73%). Furthermore, rural
stroke patients were younger than urban
stroke patients.
Hypertension, family history of
stroke, and smoking were the top 3 independent risk factors for
ischemic stroke.
Overweight/
obesity and low education were associated with increased
ischemic stroke in urban areas, while low education was associated with less
ischemic stroke in rural areas. In addition, the prevalence of
alcoholism,
dyslipidemia, diabetes, and obvious
overweight/
obesity was greater in urban areas, while high-
salt diet and low education and income were more prevalent in rural regions. Moreover, the smoking index was higher in rural areas than in urban areas.The characteristics and risk factors of
ischemic stroke differ between rural and urban areas, which could be used to design specific preventative measures.