Prevalence, risk factors and associated ocular diseases of cerebral stroke: the population-based Beijing Eye Study.

In this North Chinese population aged 50+ years, the prevalence of a previous stroke was 7.33% (95% CI 6.43% to 8.24%). After adjusting for systemic risk factors of older age, male gender and higher prevalence of arterial hypertension and cardiovascular disease, a higher prevalence of a previous stroke was significantly correlated with a higher prevalence and stage of diabetic retinopathy. The prevalence of a previous stroke increased for each step of an increase in the stage of diabetic retinopathy with an OR of 1.64 (95% CI 1.26 to 2.14), and it increased by the presence of diabetic retinopathy with an OR of 4.41 (95% CI 2.38 to 8.18).