14 Mar Stroke Outcomes in Mexican Americans
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Lynda D. Lisabeth, PhD
Interim Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Epidemiology
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan
MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings of the study?
Dr. Lisabeth: The main findings were that Mexican Americans scored worse than non-Hispanic whites on all outcomes measured at 90 days following stroke, including neurologic, functional and cognitive outcomes, after adjustment for confounding factors. Further, we found that one-third of Mexican American stroke survivors have post-stroke dementia. Mexican Americans experienced more aphasia than non-Hispanic whites. Levels of functional impairment were substantial, with Mexican Americans on average experiencing moderate functional disability. Mexican Americans reported significantly greater difficulty than non-Hispanic whites with all activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) that were studied.
MedicalResearch.com: Were any of the findings unexpected?
Dr. Lisabeth: At the start of the study we were not entirely sure what to expect. We had previously demonstrated that Mexican Americans were more likely to survive following stroke than non-Hispanic whites and we thought that this might be at the expense of more disability. On the other hand, Mexican Americans are younger when they have their strokes than non-Hispanic whites which might have suggested better outcomes than non-Hispanic whites.
MedicalResearch.com: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?
Dr. Lisabeth: This study is the first to provide information on the prognosis of Mexican American stroke survivors, information that is useful to both clinicians, patients and families.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?
Dr. Lisabeth: Given that ethnic differences in outcomes persisted after accounting for a large number of possible explanatory variables, we need further research to understand why Mexican Americans have worse outcomes. Post-stroke rehabilitation and informal caregiving are important factors that should be considered in future research that aims to better understand stroke outcomes in Mexican Americans.
Citation:
Neurological, Functional, and Cognitive Stroke Outcomes in Mexican Americans
Last Updated on March 19, 2014 by Marie Benz MD FAAD