STREAM EXCLUSIVE ORIGINALS

Stroke Rate Rises for Blacks in South Carolina

Stroke increase may be due to high blood pressure and diabetes.

The number of middle-aged blacks who suffered stroke in South Carolina rose by about one-fifth over a decade; there was no increase at all among whites, according to a new study.

For the study, published in the journal Stroke, researchers analyzed the records of more than 84,000 stroke survivors discharged from hospitals in South Carolina between 2001 and 2010. They found stroke hospitalizations among blacks younger than 65 grew by more than 17 percent, while remaining unchanged for whites the same age. Researchers also found that blacks seemed more vulnerable to stroke at younger ages. According to the study, slightly more than half of the blacks hospitalized with stroke were younger than 65, compared with 30 percent of whites.

“Excess strokes among blacks, as well as the lingering racial disparity in the younger groups, represent a serious public health issue,” said lead author Wayne Feng, M.D., a stroke neurologist at the Medical University of South Carolina Stroke Center in Charleston.

The greater stroke risk among blacks younger than 65 could be attributed to the fact that we’re more likely to have stroke risk factors, including high blood pressure and diabetes.

“Our results show the importance of staying healthy, exercising and eating well, and starting these healthy habits while you are still young,” Dr. Feng said. “Combined with annual physician checkups to identify and treat diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, these habits can help you prevent stroke down the road.”

The news wasn’t all bad: Stroke hospitalizations among blacks and whites 65 and older fell during the study period, and the 30-day death rate from stroke dropped among all age and racial groups.

Read more about Blacks and strokes at BlackHealthMatters.Com.

BET Health News - We go beyond the music and entertainment world to bring you important medical information and health-related tips of special relevance to Blacks in the U.S. and around the world. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.  

 (Photo: Rick Gershon/Getty Images)

Latest News

Subscribe for BET Updates

Provide your email address to receive our newsletter.


By clicking Subscribe, you confirm that you have read and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge our Privacy Policy. You also agree to receive marketing communications, updates, special offers (including partner offers) and other information from BET and the Paramount family of companies. You understand that you can unsubscribe at any time.