Black people are more
likely to survive a stroke
than white people, according to new research
While the risk of stroke and death
from stroke are generally higher in black people than whites in the
United Kingdom and the United States, black patients are more likely
to survive than whites, according to a new study. In south London,
where this study took place, the average age of people with stroke
is 10 years lower than in the whole population.
The study involved over 2,000
patients registered on the south London stroke register after having
a first stroke between 1995 and 2002. Data on ethnicity,
socioeconomic class, and treatment of existing health problems were
collected and survival was calculated.
Despite an increased risk of
stroke, black patients were more likely to survive than white
patients. The results showed a clear survival advantage, with five
year survival being 57% for black people and 36% for white people.
This trend remained after adjusting for several factors that may
have affected the results, such as age and socioeconomic status.
Older black people in particular
(75 and over) had a substantial survival advantage over similar
white people. Current smoking, untreated atrial fibrillation
(irregular heart rhythm) and diabetes, treated or untreated, were
all associated with worse survival.
It seems that black people have
better access to stroke unit care and more active management of some
modifiable risk factors before stroke, say the authors.
They suggest that more detailed
measures of socioeconomic status, education, and care after stroke
need to be incorporated into future studies to identify the
contribution of such factors on survival.
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