Abstract 84: Where Should Interventions be Focused to Reduce the Black-white Disparity in Stroke Mortality? Insights From the Reasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Introduction: The study of racial disparities in stroke mortality should guide interventions to reduce these disparities. A higher mortality in blacks than whites could result from a higher incidence of stroke in blacks, a higher case-fatality of stroke in blacks, or both. Interventions focusing on primary prevention are needed if incidence is a major contributor to disparities, while interventions addressing treatment are a priority if case-fatality is a major contributor. Hypothesis: Higher stroke mortality in REGARDS will be attributable to higher incidence, higher case fatality, or both. Methods: 29,681 black and white participants aged 45+ were followed for stroke over 7 years. Fatal stroke (stroke mortality) was defined as a stroke event with death within 30-days, incident stroke included all stroke events (regardless of death), and case-fatality as the proportion of stroke events with death within 30-days. Black-white differences in stroke mortality and stroke incidence were assessed using proportional hazards models, and case-fatality using logistic regression (with adjustment for age and sex). Results: There were 954 incident events with 242 deaths within 30-days. We showed higher stroke mortality in blacks, with a black-white disparity in fatal stroke at young ages (at age 45, HR = 4.35; 95% CI: 1.94-9.76), but a declining magnitude of the disparity at older ages (at age 85, HR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.56 - 1.35). The pattern was similar for incident stroke, although the magnitude of the black-white disparity was smaller (at age 45: HR = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.72 - 3.33; at age 85: HR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.76 - 1.19). There was no evidence of a black-white disparity in case-fatality rate (OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 0.93 - 1.71). Conclusion: In a nationwide cohort, we found that the black-white disparity in stroke mortality was primarily attributable to a racial disparity in stroke incidence, not case fatality. Thus, interventions designed to reduce the black-white disparity in stroke mortality require a primary prevention focus aimed at reducing the disparity in stroke incidence. While effective interventions to improve stroke outcomes are needed, these data suggest that improving treatment after the initial event will not reduce black-white disparities in stroke mortality.

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Abstract 52: Contributors to the Rural Excess in Stroke Mortality: The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.48.suppl_1.52 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 48 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

George Howard ◽

Dawn O Kleindorfer ◽

D. L Long ◽

Mary Cushman ◽

Virginia J Howard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Rural Regions ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Regards Study ◽

The Impact

Introduction: One NIH goal is to investigate the US nationwide rural-urban health disparities; however, few studies provide data to help understand the 30% higher rural stroke mortality. It is unknown if the higher stroke mortality is attributable to a higher incidence of stroke, or to a higher case fatality, in rural regions. Further, the role of risk factors or SES status in higher incidence or case-fatality is unknown. Methods: REGARDS participants stroke-free at baseline (n = 25,090) were stratified by Rural-Urban Commuting Area strata: urban, large rural city/town, or small rural town or isolated region. Participants were followed for incident stroke, and case fatality was defined as death within 30-days of a stroke. Difference in incident stroke was assessed using proportional hazards analysis, and case-fatality by logistic regression, each considered after adjustment for demographic factors, further adjustment for risk factors, and further adjustment for SES. Results: Over an average follow-up of 8.2 years, 1,060 incident strokes occurred, of which 160 died within 30 days. Risk of incident stroke increased with rurality (p = 0.016), with a hazard 1.21-times (95% CI: 1.00 - 1.46) higher in large rural cities/towns, and 1.24-times (95% CI: 1.00 - 1.54) higher in small rural towns or isolated regions (see table). Adjustment for risk factors and SES attenuated the estimated risk by 50%, and the association became non-significant. There was no evidence of a higher case-fatality from stroke in rural regions (p > 0.46). Discussion: The higher stroke mortality in rural regions appears to be attributable to higher stroke incidence, and not to higher case-fatality. Higher stroke incidence in rural regions is partially attributable to a worse risk factor profile and lower SES. Efforts to reduce rural disparity in stroke mortality should focus on preventive strategies, especially those relevant to risk factor development and control, and/or mitigating the impact of lower SES.

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Incidence and Case Fatality at the County Level as Contributors to Geographic Disparities in Stroke Mortality

Neuroepidemiology ◽

10.1159/000449102 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (2) ◽

pp. 96-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Darwin R. Labarthe ◽

George Howard ◽

Monika M. Safford ◽

Virginia J. Howard ◽

Suzanne E. Judd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Racial Differences ◽

Stroke Prevention ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Stroke Care ◽

The United States ◽

Hazard Ratio ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Stroke Case

Background: Is the high stroke mortality in the Southeastern parts of the United States driven by differences in stroke incidence or case-fatality? This question remains unanswered. Differences in incidence would underscore the need for stroke prevention, while differences in case fatality would call for improved stroke care. Methods: Quartiles of US counties were defined by stroke mortality, and this gradient was related with stroke incidence and stroke case fatality in the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study, where 1,317 incident stroke events (of which 242 were fatal) occurred among 29,650 participants. Results: There was a significant (p = 0.0025) gradient of fatal stroke events in REGARDS (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1 (Q4/Q1) hazard ratio 1.95, 95% CI 1.35-2.81), demonstrating the consistency of REGARDS with national mortality data. The gradient for incident stroke (fatal + nonfatal) was also significant (p = 0.0023; Q4/Q1 hazard ratio 1.29, 95% CI 1.10-1.52). The gradient for stroke case-fatality was marginally significant (p = 0.058), though the OR for Q4/Q1 (1.71, 95% CI 1.13-2.25) was large. Conclusions: Both stroke incidence and case-fatality in REGARDS appear to be contributing, underscoring the need for strengthening both stroke prevention and acute stroke care in order to reduce the disparity.

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Abstract WP158: Case Fatality and Risk Factor Trend Contributions to Stroke Mortality in Non-Hispanic Blacks and Non-Hispanic Whites, 1999-2012

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.wp158 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Joanne Penko ◽

Andrew E Moran ◽

Antoinette Mason ◽

Pamela G Coxson ◽

Mark J Pletcher ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Risk Factor ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Density Lipoprotein ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Mortality Trends ◽

Stroke Risk Factor ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Policy Model

Introduction: Stroke death rates have declined nationally, but less in men and non-Hispanic Blacks. We quantified case-fatality and risk factor trend contributions to non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White 1999-2012 stroke mortality trends. Methods: The CVD Policy Model is a computer simulation of heart disease and stroke incidence, prevalence, and mortality in US adults ≥ 35 years old. We modeled mean systolic blood pressure (SBP), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and body mass index (BMI), prevalence of diabetes and smoking, and case fatality for 1999-2002, 2003-06, and 2007-12 by sex and race (NHANES; NHDS) to predict stroke mortality trends and these predictions were compared with observed data (CDC Wonder; ICD-10 I60-69). We then simulated the effects of isolated risk factors on stroke mortality in younger (age 35-64 years) and older (age 65-84 years) men and women. Results: Model predictions mirrored observed trends for stroke mortality in Whites (men: predicted -27.0% v. observed -29.2%; women: -34.8% v. -33.3%) and Blacks (men: -23.8% v. -22.2%; women: -31.0% v. -30.0%). Case fatality was the main contributor to the observed decrease in stroke mortality (approximately -25%) but did not explain differences between race groups. Combined risk factor trends contributed to decreased mortality in women (-12.8% in Whites; -8.7% in Blacks), but not men. Decreased mean SBP contributed in all women (-10.7% to -12.6%, depending on age/race) and older men (-4.0%), but not young men. Increased diabetes prevalence offset improvements in stroke mortality in older White men (+2.5%), younger Blacks (men: +4.0, women: +1.5%) and, to a larger degree, older Blacks (men: +9.9%, women: +5.6% ). Conclusions: Reduced case fatality was the strongest driver of decreased stroke mortality from 1999-2012 overall, while risk factor trends explained gender and race differences. Targeting high blood pressure in young adult men and preventing diabetes at all ages could further decrease stroke mortality and reduce racial differences. Blacks would benefit most from more aggressive stroke risk factor control.

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Abstract 88: Social Inequalities in Stroke Mortality, Incidence and Case-fatality in Europe.

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.47.suppl_1.88 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 47 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Marco M Ferrario ◽

Giovanni Veronesi ◽

Kari Kuulasmaa ◽

Martin Bobak ◽

Lloyd E Chambless ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Social Inequalities ◽

Cox Regression ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Low Education ◽

Mortality Incidence ◽

European Populations

Introduction and aim: There are limited comparative data on social inequalities in stroke morbidity across Europe. We aimed to assess the magnitude of educational class inequalities in stroke mortality, incidence and 1-year case-fatality in European populations. Methods: The MORGAM study comprised 45 cohorts from Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Scotland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland and Russia, mostly recruited in mid 1980s-early 90s. Baseline data collection and follow-up (median 12 years) for fatal and non-fatal strokes adhered to MONICA-like procedures. Stroke mortality was defined according to the underlying cause of death (ICD-IX codes 430-438 or ICD-X I60-I69). We derived 3 educational classes from population-, sex- and birth year-specific tertiles of years of schooling. We estimated the age-adjusted difference in event rates, and the age- and risk factor-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs), between the bottom and the top of the educational class distribution from sex- and population-specific Poisson and Cox regression models, respectively. The association between 1-year case-fatality and education was estimated through logistic models adjusted for risk factors. Results: Among the 91,563 CVD-free participants aged 35-74 at baseline, 1037 stroke deaths and 3902 incident strokes occurred during follow-up. Low education accounted for 26 additional stroke deaths per 100,000 person-years in men (95%CI: 9 to 42), and 19 (7 to 32) in women. In both genders, inequalities in fatal stroke rates were larger in the East EU and in the Nordic Countries populations. The age-adjusted pooled HRs of first stroke, fatal or non-fatal, for the least educated men and women were 1.52 (95%CI: 1.29-1.78) and 1.51 (1.25-1.81), respectively, consistently across populations. Adjustment for smoking, blood pressure, HDL-cholesterol and diabetes attenuated the pooled HRs to 1.34 (95%CI: 1.14-1.57) in men and 1.29 (1.07-1.55) in women. A significant association between low education and increased 1-year case-fatality was observed in Northern Sweden only. Conclusions: Social inequalities in stroke incidence are widespread in most European populations, and less than half of the gap is explained by major risk factors.

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Consistent declining trends in stroke mortality in Brazil: mission accomplished?

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/0004-282x20160055 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 74 (5) ◽

pp. 376-381 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Valéria M. A. Passos ◽

Lenice H. Ishitani ◽

Glaura C. Franco ◽

Gustavo C. Lana ◽

Daisy M. X. Abreu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

State Space Model ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Correct Interpretation ◽

Mortality Trends ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Space Model ◽

Steady Decrease ◽

Northern Regions ◽

Mortality Estimates

ABSTRACT Stroke mortality rates are declining in Brazil, but diferences among regions need to be better investigated. The age-adjusted stroke mortality trends among adults (30-69 years-old) from Brazilian regions were studied between 1996 and 2011. Method Data were analyzed after: 1) reallocation of deaths with non-registered sex or age; 2) redistribution of garbage codes and 3) underreporting correction. A linear regression model with autoregressive errors and a state space model were fitted to the data, aiming the estimation of annual trends at every point in time. Results Although there were high values, a steady decrease of rates was observed. The decreasing trends among all regions were statistically significant, with higher values of decline among the Northeast and Northern regions, where rates were the highest. Conclusion Standardized methodology use is mandatory for correct interpretation of mortality estimates. Although declining, rates are still extremely high and efforts must be made towards prevention of stroke incidence, reduction of case-fatality rates and prevention of sequelae.

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Abstract MP060: Contributors to the Geographic Disparity in Stroke Incidence in the United States: Results From the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Disparities in Stroke Cohort

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.135.suppl_1.mp060 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

George Howard ◽

Darwin R Labarthe ◽

Virginia J Howard ◽

Suzanne E Judd ◽

Claudia S Moy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stroke Risk ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Vital Statistics ◽

County Level ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Geographic Disparity ◽

Geographic Difference

Introduction: Geographic disparities in US stroke risk have recently been confirmed by REGARDS, but contributors to this are unknown. Higher prevalence of risk factors (RF) and lower socioeconomic status (SES) may contribute to this geographic disparity. For a RF/SES to contribute to this disparity it must both : 1) have a large geographic difference in prevalence, and 2) be powerfully associated with stroke risk. Methods: The 1,623 counties of residence of 24,863 REGARDS participants were placed in quartiles of Vital Statistics stroke mortality. Logistic regression assessed the geographic difference in prevalence of each RF/SES by quartile of stroke mortality. Proportional hazards was used to calculate HR stroke for each RF/SES. Mediation analysis then estimated the proportion of increased stroke incidence in counties with high stroke mortality explained by each RF/SES. Results: Higher county-level stroke mortality was significantly associated with low neighborhood SES (nSES), and more weakly associated with low education and presence of RFs (left column of table). Over 8-years follow-up there were 1,194 stroke events. Hypertension, diabetes and heart disease were all more strongly associated with higher stroke risk (HR ≥1.59) than nSES (HR = 1.21) (center column of table). The large differences in nSES between regions overcame the somewhat weaker association of nSES with stroke risk, since nSES was the largest single contributor to the geographic disparity in stroke incidence, accounting for 20.5% of the disparity (95% CI: 7.1 - 34.0) (right column in table). In multivariable analysis nSES, hypertension and diabetes collectively mediated27% of the geographic disparity (95% CI: 20.0% - 34.0%), but the association with county-level mortality remained significant (p = 0.006). Conclusion: Lower nSES played the largest role in explaining the county-level geographic disparity in stroke incidence in REGARDS, however, 73% of the excess risk of stroke incidence was not explained by any studied factors.

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Abstract 2535: Urban Versus Rural Differences In Stroke Risk: The CDC Wonder Estimates Of Mortality, And REasons For Geographic And Racial Differences In Stroke (REGARDS) Estimates Of Incidence And Survival After Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.43.suppl_1.a2535 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 43 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

George Howard ◽

Michael Mullen ◽

John Higginbotham ◽

Dawn O Kleindorfer ◽

Leslie A McClure ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Racial Differences ◽

Stroke Risk ◽

Classification Scheme ◽

Statistical Significance ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Urban Rural ◽

Regards Study

Introduction: Rural-urban disparities in stroke are poorly understood and incompletely characterized. US stroke incidence, mortality, and survival after stroke have not, to our knowledge, been previously reported by urban-rural status. Methods: Data for US residents over age 45 from the CDC WONDER system were used to describe the age-adjusted stroke mortality rates between 1999 and 2007 for each county in the US, stratified by rurality. Stroke was defined by ICD-10 codes 60-69. Rurality was defined at the county level using the National Center for Health Statistics 6-level classification scheme. Data from the REGARDS Study, a longitudinal cohort study of 30,239 black and white participants aged 45+ from 48 states, were used to estimate the age and sex adjusted hazard ratio for incident stroke, and to assess survival after stroke, using the same urban/rural classification scheme. Results: Between 1999 and 2007, stroke mortality (per 100,000) for those aged 45+ was higher in rural counties for both whites and blacks, with a 20% difference in whites (156.6 for rural versus 131.0 for central metropolitan) and a 32% difference in blacks (237.4 versus 179.6). Among 27,740 REGARDS participants who were stroke-free at baseline with follow-up data, 614 adjudicated stroke events occurred over a mean 4.9 years of follow-up. For whites, incident stroke risk did not change with higher urbanization (HR reported in table ). There was a consistently lower risk of incident stroke with higher urbanization for blacks although this difference did not reach statistical significance (see table ). Follow-up was available on 609 of the stroke events. Risk of death after stroke appeared consistently (although generally non-significantly) lower with greater urbanization (see table ) for both blacks and whites. Discussion: Greater urbanization appears to be associated with lower stroke mortality for both whites and blacks, although differences may be larger for blacks. This difference in mortality may be due to both decreased incidence and survival following stroke for blacks; however, higher mortality for rural whites appears to be only due to decreased survival. Reasons for differences in incidence and survival following stroke may be related to control of vascular risk factors and access to care although further study is required.

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Abstract W P176: Self-reported Pre-Stroke Physical Activity Levels Influence Functional Ability Following Incident Stroke

Stroke ◽

10.1161/str.46.suppl_1.wp176 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽

Author(s):

Michelle N McDonnell ◽

Susan L Hillier ◽

David L Roth ◽

Suzanne E Judd ◽

William E Haley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Racial Differences ◽

Functional Ability ◽

Length Of Hospital Stay ◽

Stroke Recovery ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Stroke Event ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Post Stroke ◽

One Year

Background and Purpose: Emerging evidence suggests that stroke recovery is influenced by pre-stroke physical activity (PA). The purpose of this study was to examine whether prospectively collected pre-stroke PA levels were associated with functioning one year post-stroke in survivors of a first stroke. Methods: PA was assessed during baseline interviews of participants in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) observational study. Participants who experienced a first-ever stroke event during follow up were enrolled in an ancillary study. Approximately 12 months following stroke incidence, survivors and their informants were interviewed by telephone, and an in-home assessment of functional ability was conducted (n = 203). The association between pre-stroke PA and post-stroke function was assessed. Results: Participants reported baseline PA as either no vigorous PA (n = 65), or PA once or more per week (n = 138). Individuals who exercised at least once per week had significantly greater function at one year following stroke as assessed with the NIHSS, the Barthel Index and the Stroke Impact Scale physical domain score. In the multivariate model, race, education, sex, age, length of hospital stay and discharge destination were associated with functioning and attenuated this relationship. However, the significant association between pre-stroke PA and the NIHSS remained (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Self-reported PA prior to stroke was associated with significantly lower NIHSS scores one year after stroke. Other physical function measures were attenuated by factors such as female sex and African American race which were strongly related to poorer function.

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High sodium:potassium intake ratio increases the risk for all-cause mortality: the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study

Journal of Nutritional Science ◽

10.1017/jns.2013.4 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Suzanne E. Judd ◽

Kristal J. Aaron ◽

Abraham J. Letter ◽

Paul Muntner ◽

Nancy S. Jenny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Racial Differences ◽

Proportional Hazards ◽

Reference Group ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards ◽

Stroke Incidence ◽

Black And White ◽

Cox Proportional Hazards Models ◽

Group Data ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Regards Study

AbstractIncreased dietary Na intake and decreased dietary K intake are associated with higher blood pressure. It is not known whether the dietary Na:K ratio is associated with all-cause mortality or stroke incidence and whether this relationship varies according to race. Between 2003 and 2007, the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort enrolled 30 239 black and white Americans aged 45 years or older. Diet was assessed using the Block 98 FFQ and was available on 21 374 participants. The Na:K ratio was modelled in race- and sex-specific quintiles for all analyses, with the lowest quintile (Q1) as the reference group. Data on other covariates were collected using both an in-home assessment and telephone interviews. We identified 1779 deaths and 363 strokes over a mean of 4·9 years. We used Cox proportional hazards models to obtain multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HR). In the highest quintile (Q5), a high Na:K ratio was associated with all-cause mortality (Q5 v. Q1 for whites: HR 1·22; 95 % CI 1·00, 1·47, P for trend = 0·084; for blacks: HR 1·36; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·77, P for trend = 0·028). A high Na:K ratio was not significantly associated with stroke in whites (HR 1·29; 95 % CI 0·88, 1·90) or blacks (HR 1·39; 95 % CI 0·78, 2·48), partly because of the low number of stroke events. In the REGARDS study, a high Na:K ratio was associated with all-cause mortality and there was a suggestive association between the Na:K ratio and stroke. These data support the policies targeted at reduction of Na from the food supply and recommendations to increase K intake.

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Determinants of the decline in mortality from acute stroke in England: linked national database study of 795 869 adults

BMJ ◽

10.1136/bmj.l1778 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. l1778 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Olena O Seminog ◽

Peter Scarborough ◽

F Lucy Wright ◽

Mike Rayner ◽

Michael J Goldacre

Keyword(s):

Acute Stroke ◽

Event Rate ◽

Age Groups ◽

Case Fatality ◽

Mortality Rates ◽

National Database ◽

Age Group ◽

Stroke Mortality ◽

Stroke Event ◽

Event Rates

Abstract Objectives To study trends in stroke mortality rates, event rates, and case fatality, and to explain the extent to which the reduction in stroke mortality rates was influenced by changes in stroke event rates or case fatality. Design Population based study. Setting Person linked routine hospital and mortality data, England. Participants 795 869 adults aged 20 and older who were admitted to hospital with acute stroke or died from stroke. Main outcome measures Stroke mortality rates, stroke event rates (stroke admission or stroke death without admission), and case fatality within 30 days after stroke. Results Between 2001 and 2010 stroke mortality rates decreased by 55%, stroke event rates by 20%, and case fatality by 40%. The study population included 358 599 (45%) men and 437 270 (55%) women. Average annual change in mortality rate was −6.0% (95% confidence interval −6.2% to −5.8%) in men and −6.1% (−6.3% to −6.0%) in women, in stroke event rate was −1.3% (−1.4% to −1.2%) in men and −2.1% (−2.2 to −2.0) in women, and in case fatality was −4.7% (−4.9% to −4.5%) in men and −4.4% (−4.5% to −4.2%) in women. Mortality and case fatality but not event rate declined in all age groups: the stroke event rate decreased in older people but increased by 2% each year in adults aged 35 to 54 years. Of the total decline in mortality rates, 71% was attributed to the decline in case fatality (78% in men and 66% in women) and the remainder to the reduction in stroke event rates. The contribution of the two factors varied between age groups. Whereas the reduction in mortality rates in people younger than 55 years was due to the reduction in case fatality, in the oldest age group (≥85 years) reductions in case fatality and event rates contributed nearly equally. Conclusions Declines in case fatality, probably driven by improvements in stroke care, contributed more than declines in event rates to the overall reduction in stroke mortality. Mortality reduction in men and women younger than 55 was solely a result of a decrease in case fatality, whereas stroke event rates increased in the age group 35 to 54 years. The increase in stroke event rates in young adults is a concern. This suggests that stroke prevention needs to be strengthened to reduce the occurrence of stroke in people younger than 55 years.

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