Declining stroke mortality in young adults: Hope and concern

In 1914, Lord James Bryce, the British jurist, historian, and ambassador to the United States, was quoted as saying, "Medicine is the only profession that labors incessantly to destroy the reason for its own existence."1 Consistent with this principle, in 1999, the US Department of Health and Human Services and several voluntary health organizations set a public policy goal to reduce stroke mortality by 25% over the following decade. This goal was reached by 2006; between 2000 and 2010, the annual stroke death rate in the United States decreased by 35.8%.2 Data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), however, revealed smaller reductions in those aged 18–44 years (37.8%) compared to those aged 45–64 years (51.7%) or those aged ≥65 years (48.3%).2 Neither study addressed relative declines across race-ethnic groups.
Source: Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: All Cerebrovascular disease/Stroke, All epidemiology, Incidence studies EDITORIALS Source Type: research