Title: Epidemiology of Young Stroke in MENA: Findings from the First Multicenter Study

Description: Stroke incidence in young adults (18–45) is rising globally, but until now, the Middle East and North Africa lacked unified data to understand the regional nuances.

In this episode, we host Dr. Amal Al Hashmi to discuss her team's pivotal retrospective study involving nearly 4,000 patients across 16 centers in 9 countries. We analyze the unique epidemiological landscape of the region, challenging the assumption that Western stroke protocols fit all populations.

Key topics discussed:

• Demographics: Analysis of the 65% male predominance among young stroke patients.
• Risk Factor Profiling: The dominance of hypertension (38%) and the high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.
• Etiology: Understanding the unusually high rate of Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis (10.4%) compared to global averages.
• Cryptogenic Stroke: Addressing the 22% of cases with "undetermined etiology" and the need for advanced diagnostic infrastructure.

Join us for a deep dive into the data that is reshaping how we approach neurology and public health policy in the Arab world.