Mexican-Americans Face Higher Stroke Risk

Twice as likely as whites to suffer brain attack

TUESDAY, Aug. 10, 2004 (HealthDayNews) -- Mexican-Americans have a much greater risk of stroke than non-Hispanic whites, and that increased risk doesn't appear to be related to the higher incidence of diabetes in this ethnic group, according to two new studies.

Mexican-Americans aged 45 to 59 were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have any type of stroke or near-stroke, while Mexican-Americans in their early 60s and early 70s were about 60 more likely to have a stroke or near-stroke, says a study in the Aug. 15 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.

The study found that Mexican-Americans aged 45 to 59 were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a blocked blood vessel in the brain. Mexican-Americans aged 60 to 74 were 60 percent more likely to have an ischemic stroke.

Younger Mexican-Americans were twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to suffer a transient ischemic attack (TIA), a temporary blockage that's a warning sign for a full-blown stroke.

Mexican-Americans in their late 40s through their 50s were three times more likely than non-Hispanic whites to suffer an intracerebral hemmorhage, a form of bleeding stroke. Mexican-Americans aged 60 to 74 were more than twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to have a subarachnoid hemorrhage, another kind of bleeding stroke.

This is the first study to show this stroke gap between the two groups, and the results indicate a need to improve education among Mexican-Americans about stroke prevention and the need to act quickly in the event of a stroke.

The second study, published in the Aug. 10 issue of Neurology, found that this higher incidence of stroke among Mexican-Americans doesn't appear to be related to diabetes. It was previously thought that higher rates of diabetes in this population increased their risk of certain kinds of stroke.

This study's findings show that researchers need to look for other factors contributing to the high stroke risk among Mexican-Americans.

Both studies used data from a project that used medical records and interviews to study strokes among residents of Neuces County, Tex.

More information

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation has more about stroke.

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