HIV sero-positivity and risk factors for ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke in hospitalised patients in Uganda: A prospective-case-control study

Abstract Objectives We examined HIV sero-positivity and risk factors in patients admitted with ischaemic stroke (IS) and haemorrhagic stroke (HS) in Kampala, Uganda. Study design We conducted a matched case-control study between December 2016 and December 2018 ​at ​St Francis Hospital, Nsambya. Methods The study population comprised of stroke cases (adults aged ≥18 years with IS or HS confirmed by neuroimaging) and controls (age- and sex-matched stroke-free adults aged ≥18 years who were recruited from the same hospital as the cases). A comprehensive assessment for sociodemographic, lifestyle and clinical factors was performed using the World Health Organization (WHO) STEP-wise approach to Surveillance (STEPS) for stroke risk factor surveillance. We used conditional logistic regression to identify risk factors associated with IS or HS. Results We enrolled 137 matched case-control pairs; 48 (35%) were men, and the mean ages were 62.4 years (SD ​± ​14.8) for cases and 61.1 years (SD ​± ​14.1) for controls. Of stroke patients, 86 (63%) had IS and 51 (37%) had HS. Overall, HIV sero-positivity was 10% among stroke cases versus 7% among controls. HIV sero-positivity was not significantly associated with stroke (unadjusted odds ratio [uOR] ​= ​1.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.59–3.78). A self-reported family history of diabetes mellitus was associated with an increased risk of all stroke (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] ​= ​4.41, 95% CI 1.47–13.2), as well as for IS and HS separately (aOR ​= ​3.66, 95% CI 1.09–12.4 and aOR ​= ​4.99, 95% CI 1.02–24.4, respectively). High blood pressure (≥140/90 ​mmHg) was associated with an increased risk of all stroke (aOR ​= ​12.3, 95% CI 42–44.1), and this was also true for IS and HS individually (aOR ​= ​6.48, 95% CI 1.15–36.7 and aOR ​= ​5.63, 95% CI 1.74–18.2, respectively). Conclusions No association was found between HIV sero-positivity and stroke occurrence among Ugandan stroke patients. Hypertension and a self-reported family history of diabetes mellitus were significant risk factors for both IS and HS. Interventions to reduce hypertension and diabetes mellitus in the Ugandan population are urgently required. Much larger studies are required to demonstrate if any association exists between HIV and stroke.