Stroke Prevalence Remains Stable Among American Adults with Slight Increase in Men

A recent study has found that the prevalence of stroke has remained stable among community-dwelling adults in the United States between 1999 and 2018. However, there has been a slight increase in self-reported stroke cases among men. The findings were based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and were published in JAMA Neurology.

Study Details

The study analyzed NHANES data from 1999 to 2018 and estimated trends in stroke prevalence among non-institutionalized civilians aged 20 years and older. The analysis included 2,197 participants who self-reported a history of stroke. Prevalence estimates were age-standardized into three categories: 20-39, 40-59, and 60 or older.

Stable Prevalence

The overall crude prevalence of self-reported stroke for both sexes was 2.84% with an age-standardized prevalence of 3.10%. The age-standardized prevalence of stroke was higher among Black participants compared to other racial and ethnic groups and was similar by sex. Except in men, prevalence was stable from 1999-2002 to 2015-2018 in each age and racial and ethnic group.

Slight Increase in Men

The study found that the prevalence of stroke in men increased slightly over time, with an age-standardized prevalence of 2.9% in 1999-2002 and 3.1% in 2015-2018. The reasons behind this trend were not investigated, and further research is needed to determine the factors driving the overall stable prevalence over the past 20 years and the slightly increasing prevalence in men.

Limitations

Although prevalence data is important for public health, the study underestimates the total burden of stroke in the US. NHANES does not include individuals residing in rehabilitation, long-term care, or other institutional settings. Additionally, stroke was self-reported in NHANES, which has high negative predictive value but modest positive predictive value.

Overall, the study provides important information about stroke prevalence among community-dwelling adults in the US and highlights the need for continued research into the factors driving these trends.