Black people more likely to survive stroke than whites

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

A new study shows that although black people are more prone to stroke than white people, they are also more likely to survive the condition.
A team at King's College, London, has been looking at the pattern of stroke among patients in south London. The group of over 2,000 individuals had had a first stroke between 1995 and 2002. Black patients were more likely to have a stroke but were also more likely to survive.

Five year survival of stroke was 57 per cent for black patients and 36 per cent for white patients. Older black people, in particular, were more likely to survive a stroke than their white counterparts. Current smoking, untreated atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart rhythm) and diabetes were other factors linked to higher risk of dying from stroke. It is not clear why black people have this survival advantage - it may be that they have better access to post-stroke care or experience more active management of their risk factors.

Source
BMJ Online First 28th July 2005