Socioeconomic decline and advancement within and between generations and the risk of stroke - a case-control study.

Background: Disadvantageous socioeconomic conditions (SEC) in both childhood and adulthood increase the risk of stroke. We investigated whether intergenerational and lifetime social advancement decreases and/or social descent increases stroke risk.

Methods: In a case-control study with 466 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke and 807 controls randomly selected from the general population, we compared paternal profession to subjects' professional education in adolescence and their last profession in adulthood.

Childhood and adult social conditions and risk of stroke.

Background: Socioeconomic conditions may strongly influence the risk of stroke. We tested the hypotheses that indexes of social status in different life periods including childhood are inversely associated with stroke risk and that there is a cumulative effect of social conditions during lifetime on the risk of stroke. Furthermore, we investigated whether social advancement compared to the parental generation is associated with reduced stroke risk.

Association of symptoms of chronic bronchitis and frequent flu-like illnesses with stroke.

Background And Purpose: Acute and several chronic infectious diseases increase the risk of stroke. We tested the hypothesis that chronic bronchitis and frequent flu-like illnesses are independently associated with the risk of stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA).

Methods: We assessed symptoms of chronic bronchitis, frequency of flu-like illnesses, and behavior during acute febrile infection in 370 consecutive patients with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or TIA and 370 age- and sex-matched control subjects randomly selected from the population.

Association between recent sports activity, sports activity in young adulthood, and stroke.

Background And Purpose: Leisure-time physical activity protects from stroke. It is insufficiently established whether early lifetime physical activity is independently protective and whether some etiologic stroke subgroups particularly benefit from physical activity. We tested the hypothesis that both recent and early-adulthood sports activities are associated with reduced odds of stroke and analyzed their effects in stroke subtypes.