In a population-based case-control study we assessed the association between obesity and acute ischaemic/non-embolic stroke.

A total of 163 patients aged older than 70 years (88 men and 75 women) admitted due to a first-ever-in-a-lifetime acute ischaemic/non-embolic stroke and 166 volunteers (87 men and 79 women) without a history of cardiovascular disease were included.

The association of stroke with body mass index (BMI) or waist circumference (WC) was determined by multivariate logistic regression modelling after adjusting for potential confounding factors.

Overweight and obesity were more prevalent amongst stroke patients compared to controls. Subjects with a BMI > or = 30 kg/m2 had 2.5-times higher odds to suffer an acute ischaemic/non-embolic stroke compared to subjects within the lowest BMI category of 18.5-20.9 kg/m2. Analysis of interaction showed that in the presence of overweight and/or obesity (classified as a BMI > or = 25 kg/m2 and/or a WC > 102 cm in men and > 88 cm in women) the inverse relationship between HDL cholesterol and ischaemic/non-embolic stroke was negated.

Excess weight is associated with an increased risk of acute ischaemic/non-embolic stroke in elderly individuals independently of concurrent metabolic derangements. Moreover, in the presence of obesity, HDL cholesterol loses its protective effect against ischaemic stroke.

NCIB