Background: Brazil has one of the highest stroke mortality rates in the world, these rates are most endemic in the poor. We verified the prevalence of stroke in a deprived neighbourhood in the city of São Paulo, Brazil and compared it with other surveys worldwide.
Methods: A questionnaire with six questions concerning limb and facial weakness, articulation, sensory disturbances, impaired vision, and past diagnosis of stroke was completed door-to-door in a well-defined area of 15,000 people. Questionnaires were considered positive when a participant answered two or more questions about stroke symptoms or the presence of stroke being confirmed by a physician, or at least three questions in the positive, even if not confirmed by a doctor.
Results: Of the 4496 individuals over 35-years old living in the area, 243 initially screened positive for stroke. The age-adjusted prevalence rate for men was 4·6% (95% confidence interval 3·5-5·7). For women, the prevalence rate was 6·5% (95% confidence interval 5·5-7·5); when considering only one question, the rate was 4·8% (95% confidence interval 3·9-5·7). The most commonly reported symptoms were limb weakness and sensory disturbances. Hypertension and heart disease were the conditions most commonly associated with previous stroke.
Conclusion: Stroke prevalence rates were higher in this poor neighbourhood compared with other surveys.
© 2011 The Authors. International Journal of Stroke © 2011 World Stroke Organization.