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Mexican-Americans Fare Worse After A Stroke, Study Finds

Bad News For Mexican-American Stroke Survivors
VOXXI
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According to the Office of Minority Health (OMH), Hispanics are less likely to die from a stroke should one occur, but before you start celebrating with an ice cold beer and some enchiladas we’ve got news if you’re Mexican-American.

Hispanics have similar stroke rates compared to non-Hispanic whites, and even though that news sounds positive, Mexican-Americans may want to consider some new information from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project. According to the new research, Mexican-Americans fare worse than non-Hispanic whites when it comes to neurologic, functional and cognitive outcomes 90 days after a stroke.

“What we found most notable was the difference in functional outcome,” stated Dr. Lynda Lisabeth in a press release , the study’s lead author. “Mexican-Americans did worse on all the measures of daily living activities compared to non-Hispanic whites.”

For the study, experts gave each study participant a daily living score based on criteria such as walking, bathing, grooming, eating, dressing, moving and toileting. Based on the responses to to a battery of questions, researchers were able to see patterns in groups suggesting functional impairment among Mexican-Americans after a stroke was substantial.

“This study provides the first piece of information on the prognosis of Mexican-American stroke survivors,” Lisabeth said. “The clinical and public health information we discovered is important for future research in stroke prevention and rehabilitation in stroke survivors. We don’t yet have a complete picture of recovery for Mexican-Americans and what potential intervention strategies can improve their recovery.”

Highlights of the report indicated:

  • Mexican-Americans had moderate functional disability and nearly one-third had post-stroke dementia.
  • Mexican-Americans had a 48 percent worse neurologic outcome score compared to non-Hispanic whites on the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale.
  • Mexican-Americans scored worse on language dysfunction and several other items from the language scale.
  • Mexican-Americans had worse cognitive outcome on the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination.

The study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, indicates more needs to be done for Mexican-Americans during the stroke recovery process; however, it is not entirely clear why the disparity exists. Researchers indicate there are likely genetic factors, lifestyle factors and quality of care factors that combine to create the functional care results seen.

The OMH indicates obesity, smoking and high cholesterol are all lifestyle factors that put Mexican-Americans–and all Hispanics–at an increased risk for stroke. Taking appropriate steps to counter these risk factors cannot only improve the stroke risk for Mexican-Americans, but can also reduce their risk for a number of other chronic diseases and their complications.

Originally published on VOXXI as What happens when Mexican-Americans have a stroke

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Before You Go

Foods That Lower Stroke Risk
Chocolate(01 of07)
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A Swedish study in the journal Neurology showed that eating chocolate is linked with a lower risk of stroke in men. The study, which included 37,103 men, showed that men who ate the most chocolate in the 10-year study had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who didn't report eating any chocolate during that time period. (credit:Alamy)
Whole Grains(02 of07)
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Eating lots of whole grains could help to lower risk of ischemic stroke for women, according to a study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings showed that women who ate the most whole grains in the study (like the amount you'd get by eating two or three whole grain bread slices every day) had a 30 to 40 percent lower stroke risk, compared with women who ate the fewest whole grains in the study (like the amount you'd get by eating just a half-slice of whole grain bread every day), according to ABC News. (credit:Alamy)
Citrus Fruits(03 of07)
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An antioxidant found in citrus fruits could help to lower risk of stroke in women, according to a study of 70,000 women earlier this year in the journal Stroke. Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital found that women who consumed the most flavonoids over a 14-year period had a 19 percent lower risk of stroke than the women who consumed the fewest flavonoids during that time period. (credit:Alamy)
Antioxidants(04 of07)
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While antioxidants aren't exactly a food on their own, fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are rich in them are linked with a lower stroke risk for women. Research published in the journal Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association showed that women with no heart disease history who consumed the most antioxidants from food had a 17 percent lower risk of stroke, and women with a heart disease history who consumed the most antioxidants from food had a 57 percent decreased risk of hemorrhagic stroke. The researchers, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, speculated that the protection comes from antioxidants' ability to stop inflammation and oxidative stress in the body by neutralizing harmful free radicals. Antioxidants can also help to reduce blood clots and lower blood pressure and decrease inflammation, according to the American Heart Association. (credit:Alamy)
Low-Fat Dairy (05 of07)
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Consuming low-fat dairy could help to lower the risk of stroke, according to a Stroke study. The research showed that the adults who consumed the most low-fat dairy over a 10-year period had a 12 percent lower risk of stroke compared with those who consumed the least low-fat dairy over the time period. "It is possible that vitamin D in low-fat dairy foods may explain, in part, the observed lowered risk of stroke in this study because of its potential effect on blood pressure," study researcher Susanna Larsson, Ph.D., associate professor of nutritional epidemiology at the Karolinska Institutet, said in a statement. (credit:Alamy)
Magnesium-Rich Foods (06 of07)
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Foods loaded with magnesium -- like beans, nuts leafy greens and whole grains -- are linked with a lower risk of ischemic stroke, WebMD Reported. The findings, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, showed specifically that for each 100 milligrams of magnesium consumed each day, ischemic stroke risk went down by 9 percent. (credit:Alamy)
Fish(07 of07)
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Making sure to eat some fish every week could help to lower risk of stroke, according to a review of studies published in the journal Stroke. Reuters reported on the study, which showed that eating fish several times a week was linked with a lower risk of stroke, compared with non-fish eaters. "I think overall, fish does provide a beneficial package of nutrients, in particular the omega-3s, that could explain this lower risk," Dariush Mozaffarian, an epidemiologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, whose research was part of the Stroke analysis, told Reuters. (credit:Alamy)
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