Synopsis for May 20, 2005

The MMWR is embargoed until Thursday, 12 PM EDT.

1. Disparities in Deaths from Stroke Among Persons Aged <75 Years ― United States, 2002
2. Regional and Racial Differences in Prevalence of Stroke ― 23 States and District of Columbia, 2003
3. Monitoring Progress in Arthritis Management ― United States and 25 States, 2003

Disparities in Deaths from Stroke Among Persons Aged <75 Years ― United States, 2002

Blacks die from stroke at younger ages and lose more years of life than other race groups. In order to eliminate such disparities, efforts should be made to improve access to health care, control hypertension, and increase awareness of stroke signs and symptoms among young and middle-aged adults particularly in black and Hispanic communities.

Death certificate data in 2002 suggest that stroke decedents among black, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Hispanics die at younger ages than whites and non-Hispanics. For example, over 3,400 excess stroke deaths would not have occurred among blacks if blacks and whites had the same stroke death rates at ages <65 years. Blacks also lost more than double the years of potential life before age 75 from stroke than any other race group. Reducing premature stroke death will require early prevention, detection, treatment, and control of risk factors, such as hypertension and diabetes, for stroke in young and middle-aged adults.

Regional and Racial Differences in Prevalence of Stroke ― 23 States and District of Columbia, 2003

Differences in demographics, education, and risk factors levels accounted for half of the excess stroke prevalence in the southeast and most of the excess in blacks.

Higher stroke mortality in the United States has long been evidenced among blacks and residents of southeastern states, the so-called Stroke Belt. The underlying causes of these regional and race difference in stroke risk were not clear. Data from the 2003 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System on 24 states/DC show that self-reported prevalence of stroke was higher in 10 southeastern states than in 14 other states/DC and higher among blacks than among whites. Differences in demographics (age and sex), education level, and certain risk factors (i.e., diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking, and not having a health plan) accounted for about half of the excess stroke prevalence in the southeast and most of the excess in blacks. This reinforces the importance of reducing the levels of known risk factors in disproportionately affected regions and population subgroups.

Monitoring Progress in Arthritis Management ― United States and 25 States, 2003

For persons with arthritis, arthritis education has been shown to help reduce pain, yet only 1 in 10 has taken such courses.

Arthritis is a large and growing health problem, and the leading cause of disability in the United States. Self-management through physical activity, weight control, and evidence-based arthritis education has been shown to reduce pain, improve function and quality of life, and delay disability among people with arthritis. Yet in 2003 only half of persons with arthritis received physical activity counseling and only a third of overweight or obese persons with arthritis received weight counseling. Just a tenth of persons with arthritis reported having had arthritis education. Health care providers are missing opportunities to provide helpful counseling to their patients, and persons with arthritis are missing opportunities to improve their health through arthritis education.

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This page last reviewed May 20, 2005
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