Incidence of Stroke Decreasing in Blacks, Whites in United States

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The incidence of stroke is decreasing among Black and White adults in the U.S. population, but disparities persist, according to a study published online Jan. 10 in Neurology.

Tracy E. Madsen, M.D., Ph.D., from the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues examined trends in stroke incidence and case fatality during a 22-year time period in adults aged 20 years and older. Temporal trends in stroke epidemiology were assessed by age, race, and subtype (ischemic stroke [IS], intracranial hemorrhage [ICH], or subarachnoid hemorrhage [SAH]).

The researchers found that for the combined population and for Whites, incidence rates for stroke of any type and IS decreased (any type, 215 per 100,000 in 1993/4 to 170 in 2015). The incidence rates for stroke of any type decreased among Black individuals (349 to 311 per 100,000). In the combined population and in race-specific subgroups, the incidence of ICH was stable, while SAH decreased in both the combined group and among White adults. In all time periods, the incidence rates were higher among Black than White adults; the Black:White risk ratios were highest for adults in young and middle age groups. Similar case fatality rates were seen by race and time period, apart from SAH, which demonstrated reduced 30-day case fatality rates in the combined population and White adults over time.

"The substantial racial disparity in stroke incidence remains unchanged over the study periods and continues to be particularly impactful in younger adults," the authors write.

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