U.S. hospitalizations for strokes have seen an overall decline from 2000 through 2010, but unfortunately there has been an increase in U.S. hospitalizations for strokes involving African-Americans and young people.
The research, available in the Journal of the American Heart Association, shows the rise in hospitalizations is steepest among people between the ages of 25 and 44.
Health experts believe that discussing risk factors and preventions, such as high blood pressure, could be the best approach for helping older Americans deal with their stroke risks.
“Overall, the hospitalization rate is down, with the greatest drop in people aged 65 and older,” Lucas Ramirez, neurology resident at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, said. “We can’t say from this study design what factors have led to this decline, but it may be that preventive efforts, such as better blood pressure and blood sugar control, are having the effect that we want in this age group.”
Ischemic stroke hospitalizations in the U.S. have declined. This is an unfortunate contrast to the rising statistics for African-Americans and youth.
“African-Americans already had the highest rate of stroke hospitalizations, and it has unfortunately increased,” Ramirez said. “This reinforces that we need to make sure that our efforts for stroke prevention and education reach all groups.”
