Epidemiological analyses to inform stroke clinical practice guidelines development

Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and the leading cause of functional impairment and cognitive deficits worldwide. It is important that clinical practice guidelines development is based on robust statistical and epidemiological data and their analysis throughout the whole process of guidelines development and implementation. The aim of this short communication is to analyse epidemiology of prevalence and incidence of ischaemic stroke, its main causes, brain imaging using MRI, recanalization therapies, secondary prevention with antiplatelet and anticoagulants, mortality data and to inform development of stroke clinical practice guidelines in the Czech Republic. The main analysed diagnosis was I63 (cerebral infarction) and secondary diagnoses were: I48 (atrial fibrillation and flutter), I35.9 (nonspecified aortic valve disease), Q21.1 (atrial septal defect) or I33.0 (acute and subacute endocarditis). We have also analysed use of brain imaging with MRI, recanalization treatment using intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy, stroke secondary prevention with antiplatelet drugs and anticoagulation as well as hospital admissions and mortality. In total, 159 344 patients were diagnosed with an ischaemic stroke from 2015 to 2017. Average prevalence of ischaemic stroke in the Czech Republic is 54.9 patients per 100 000. 22.2% of patients with stroke received intravenous thrombolysis or mechanical thrombectomy in 2017.