The characteristics of the included studies
| Characteristics | Number of included studies (n)a | Percentage (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Publication year | ||
| 2017 | 5 | 17.24 |
| 2018 | 8 | 27.59 |
| 2019 | 3 | 10.34 |
| 2020 | 7 | 24.14 |
| 2021 | 4 | 13.79 |
| 2022 | 2 | 6.90 |
| Country | ||
| China | 19 | 65.52 |
| USA | 3 | 10.34 |
| Egypt | 1 | 3.45 |
| Japan | 1 | 3.45 |
| Turkey | 1 | 3.45 |
| Iran | 1 | 3.45 |
| South Korea | 1 | 3.45 |
| Germany | 1 | 3.45 |
| Netherlands | 1 | 3.45 |
| Study design | ||
| Prospective study | 21 | 46.67 |
| Case-control study | 17 | 37.78 |
| Retrospective study | 3 | 6.67 |
| Cohort study | 2 | 4.44 |
| Cross-sectional study | 1 | 2.22 |
| Experimental study | 1 | 2.22 |
| Study setup | ||
| Single center | 21 | 72.41 |
| Multicenter | 5 | 17.24 |
| N/A | 3 | 10.34 |
| Setting | ||
| Inpatient department | 27 | 84.38 |
| Outpatient department | 3 | 9.38 |
| Home | 1 | 3.13 |
| N/A | 1 | 3.13 |
| Total sample size (n) | ||
| 1–50 | 4 | 13.79 |
| >50–100 | 10 | 34.48 |
| >100–200 | 6 | 20.69 |
| >200–300 | 5 | 17.24 |
| >300–400 | 3 | 10.34 |
| >400 | 1 | 3.45 |
| Target IS population | ||
| AIS | 20 | 68.97 |
| IS | 6 | 20.69 |
| Acute lacunar infraction | 1 | 3.45 |
| Cardio embolic stroke | 1 | 3.45 |
| TIA | 1 | 3.45 |
| Age of participants (mean/median in years) | ||
| 45–59 | 10 | 27.78 |
| 60–70 | 16 | 44.44 |
| >70 | 8 | 22.22 |
| NA | 2 | 5.56 |
| Prevalence of IS (%) | ||
| >20–40 | 2 | 6.90 |
| >40–60 | 21 | 72.41 |
| >60–80 | 6 | 20.69 |
N/A, not applicable.
↵a One study may have ≥ 1 characteristic.