Mohsen Janghorbani, PHD; Frank B. Hu, MD; Walter C. Willett, MD; Tricia Y. Li, MD; Joann E. Manson, MD; Giancarlo Logroscino, MD; Kathryn M. Rexrode, MD Author Information

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between type 1 and type 2 diabetes and risk of stroke subtypes in women.

We followed 116,316 women aged 30–55 years in 1976 through 2002 for incidence of stroke. At baseline and through biennial follow-up, women were asked about their history and treatment of diabetes and other potential risk factors for stroke.

During 2.87 million person-years of follow-up, 3,463 incident strokes occurred. In multivariate analyses, the incidence of total stroke was fourfold higher in women with type 1 diabetes (relative risk [RR] 4.7 [95% CI 3.3–6.6]) and twofold higher among women with type 2 diabetes (1.8 [1.7–2.0]) than for nondiabetic women. The multivariate RR of ischemic stroke was increased sixfold (6.3 [4.0–9.8]) in type 1 diabetes and twofold (2.3 [2.0–2.6]) in type 2 diabetes. Risks for large-artery infarction and lacunar stroke were similar. Type 1 diabetes was also significantly associated with the risk of hemorrhagic stroke (3.8 [1.2–11.8]), but type 2 diabetes was not (1.0 [0.7–1.4])..

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are associated with substantially increased risks of total and most subtypes of stroke. .