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Abstract
Background and Objective There are significant racial disparities in stroke in the United States, with Black individuals having a higher risk of incident stroke even when adjusted for traditional stroke risk factors. It is unknown whether Black individuals are also at a higher risk of recurrent stroke.
Methods Over an 18-month period spanning 2014–2015, we ascertained index stroke cases within the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky population of 1.3 million. We then followed up all patients for 3 years and determined the risk of recurrence. Multivariable survival analysis was performed to determine the effect of Black race on recurrence.
Results There were 3,816 patients with index stroke/TIA events in our study period, and 476 patients had a recurrent event within 3 years. The Kaplan-Meier estimate of 3-year recurrence rate was 15.4%. Age-adjusted and sex-adjusted stroke recurrence rate was higher in Black individuals (HR 1.34, 95% CI 1.1–1.6; p = 0.003); however, when adjusted for traditional stroke risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, smoking status, age, and left ventricular hypertrophy, the association between Black race and recurrence was significantly attenuated and became nonsignificant (HR 1.1, 95% CI 0.9–1.36, p = 0.32). At younger ages, Black race was more strongly associated with recurrence, and this effect may not be fully attenuated by traditional stroke risk factors.
Discussion Recurrent stroke was more common among Black individuals, but the magnitude of the racial difference was substantially attenuated and became nonsignificant when adjusted for traditional stroke risk factors. Interventions targeting these risk factors could reduce disparities in stroke recurrence.
Glossary
- CAD=
- coronary artery disease;
- GCNKSS=
- Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Stroke Study;
- ICHs=
- intracerebral hemorrhages;
- LVH=
- left ventricular hypertrophy;
- OMB=
- Office of Management and Budget;
- TIA=
- transient ischemic attack
Footnotes
↵* These authors contributed equally to this work.
Go to Neurology.org/N for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the authors, if any, are provided at the end of the article.
Submitted and externally peer reviewed. The handling editor was Jośe Merino, MD, MPhil, FAAN.
Editorial, page 975
See page e2531
- Received January 4, 2022.
- Accepted in final form July 27, 2022.
- © 2022 American Academy of Neurology
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