Overweight, Obesity In Young Adulthood And The Risk Of Stroke: A Meta-analysis

Background Stroke,a common neurological disease with high morbidity,disability,and mortality rates,negatively affects human health and quality of life.Obesity plays a very important role in the etiology of stroke.The number of overweight and obese individuals worldwide has increased,and which represents the highest increase mainly in young adults.But the relationship of overweight and obesity in young adulthood with the risk of stroke remains controversial in studies reported at home and abroad.Therefore,we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the association between overweight and obesity in young adulthood and stroke risk.Objectives To evaluate the association between overweight/obesity in young adulthood and stroke risk by performing a meta-analysis.Methods We systematically searched Pub Med and Embase databases for related studies of human subjects in the English language.Two investigators independently selected original studies in a two-step process.Fixed-and random-effects models were used to calculate pooled relative risk(RR)and 95% confidence intervals(CIs).Subgroup analyses were also performed.Results Eight cohort studies met the inclusion criteria.Compared with normal weight,overweight in young adulthood was associated with 36% increased risk of developing stroke(pooled RR = 1.36;95% CI: 1.28–1.44),and obesity in young adulthood was associated with 81% increased risk of developing stroke(pooled RR = 1.81;95% CI:1.45–2.25).In subgroup analyses,overweight and obesity in young adulthood increased the risk of stroke in most groups.However,when stratifying according to stroke subtype,there was a statistically significant correlation between overweight/obesity in young adulthood and ischemic stroke risk(overweight: pooled RR = 1.40,95% CI: 1.24–1.58;obesity: pooled RR = 1.78,95% CI: 1.003–3.16),but not between overweight/obesity in young adulthood and hemorrhagic stroke(overweight: pooled RR = 1.25,95% CI: 0.83–1.90;obesity: pooled RR = 1.80,95% CI: 0.97–3.35).Conclusions Overweight and obesity in young adulthood are associated with increased risk of stroke,and the risk gradually increased with increasing body weight.The increased risk is prominent for ischemic stroke,but further studies are needed to confirm whether there is increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke.