Stroke recovery rates tied to ethnicity

Recovering from an acute ischemic stroke can depend greatly on a person’s ethnic heritage, according to new research published in the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

Asian-Americans have the best 30-day and one-year survival rates and the fewest coexisting conditions, according to the study conducted by researchers at the University of Albany School of Public Health. The worst 30-day survival rates are among whites, while Hispanics and African-Americans are the most likely to be readmitted to a hospital within a year.

“Among older Medicare beneficiaries with AIS, there were significant differences in long-term outcomes by race/ethnicity, even after adjustment for stroke severity, other prognostic variables and hospital characteristics,” the authors noted.

The study involved more than 200,000 people age 65+ across the country who had suffered an ischemic stroke.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.