Abstract
CVST is a rare cerebrovascular condition commonly associated with young adults and females. The primary aim of this study was to identify key risk factors associated with CVST and assess the outcomes of participants with CVST. This is an ongoing multicenter hospital-based study conducted from July 2022 to October 2023. A total of 152 CVST participants were selected from seven participating sites. The diagnosis of CVST was confirmed via a CT scan or MRI/MRV. Sociodemographic variables, i.e., lifestyle variables, type of objective testing, clinical presentations, risk factors and hospital outcomes, were recorded. Logistic regression was applied to identify risks associated with CVST and was adjusted for confounders such as age, sex, and comorbidity. The median (range) age of the CVST patients was 29 (0-69) years, with a significantly higher proportion of the registered CVST participants being males than females (63.8% vs 36.2%, P < 0.001). The peak frequency of CVST participants was recorded among those aged 21-30 years, accounting for 32.9% of the participants. The most common clinical manifestation was vomiting in 39.5% of the participants, followed by headache in 29.6% of the participants. The study identified young adults to be at increased risk of CVST (OR 0.28; 95% CI 0.18-0.42; P = < 0.001) and alcohol consumption with higher incident of CVST than never used alcohol (OR 1.95; 95% CI 1.17-3.23; P = 0.010) after adjusted for confounders. Study reported around 97% of participants were discharged after treatment, and mortality was reported in 3.2% of participants. CVST was strongly associated with males and young adults in this study, raising serious concerns. Alcohol intake was associated with a greater risk of CVST. The findings of this study could inform the development of region-specific protocols and targeted public health efforts, ultimately enhancing patient outcomes and reducing CVST-related mortality and morbidity in India.