What racial-ethnic disparities have been found in stroke care in the United States?
A number of studies have found racial-ethnic disparities in stroke care in the United States. For example, a study by Lackland et al. (1999) found that mortality rates from stroke were higher among African American residents of the ‘Stroke Belt’ region of the United States than among white residents. A statement from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (2011) found that African Americans were more likely than whites to have strokes, yet less likely to receive treatment for stroke. A study by Kissela et al. (2004) found that the risk of stroke was higher for African Americans than for whites, and this risk did not appear to be decreasing over time. Finally, a study by Sacco et al (1998) found that stroke incidence was higher among African Americans than among whites or Hispanics in an urban community.