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(Stroke. 2005;36:386.)
© 2005 American Heart Association, Inc.

Special Report

Editorial Comment—Ethnic Disparities in Stroke

Epidemiology, Acute Care, and Postacute Outcomes

Stanley Tuhrim, MD

Department of Neurology, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In the current issue of Stroke, Stansbury et al provide a broad survey of ethnic disparities in stroke. Going beyond the frequently covered topics of incidence and mortality, this selected review of literature published from 1991 to 2003 considers ethnic variations in risk factor profiles, acute care, and the more chronic issues of use of rehabilitation services, functional outcomes, and recurrent stroke prevention. Data are most prevalent regarding black/white differences, allowing for firmer conclusions regarding disparities between these groups than can be drawn regarding other minority groups. Similarly, examination of the more easily and frequently measured variables of incidence and severity yields clearer conclusions, but the authors are to be commended for drawing attention to less well-studied but equally important areas of possible disparity.

The authors focus on race or ethnicity (preferring the latter designation) as a construct primarily characterizing cultural and socioeconomic factors that relate to issues of access, societal discrimination, or behavioral variation more than they do genetics or biology. This seems entirely appropriate given that the biological effects of risk factors and medications are generally consistent across ethnic or racial groups, and the degree of genetic homogeneity within the groups considered is limited.¹

This review confirms what is probably already well recognized in the medical community: the increased incidence in stroke and stroke mortality among black Americans; but it points out that this phenomena extends to intracerebral and subarachnoid hemorrhage as well as ischemic stroke. Among traditional risk factors, the review confirms that hypertension is more . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Related Article:

Ethnic Disparities in Stroke: Epidemiology, Acute Care, and Postacute Outcomes

James P. Stansbury, Huanguang Jia, Linda S. Williams, W. Bruce Vogel, and Pamela W. Duncan
Stroke 2005 36: 374-386. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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