Abstract WMP58: Blacks Have Higher Risk of 1-Year Recurrent Ischemic Stroke: An Analysis of White and Black Medicare Beneficiaries 1999-2013

Introduction: Blacks have a higher incidence of stroke compared with whites. Most stroke survivors in the United States are 65 years and older but few data are available on racial differences in recurrent stroke risk in this age group. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort of Medicare beneficiaries in the 5% sample from 1999-2013 to compare 1-year recurrent stroke risk in older black and white Americans following hospitalization for ischemic stroke. We studied beneficiaries with Medicare fee-for-service coverage for 182 days before the index stroke hospitalization with no claims for stroke-related events. Patients were divided into two age groups (66-74, 75 years and above) and stratified into 3 calendar periods (1999-2001, 2002-2006, 2007-2013) allowing for implementation of secondary stroke prevention trial findings (PROGRESS, 2001; SPARCL, 2006). Hazard ratios for recurrent ischemic stroke comparing blacks to whites were calculated with adjustment for demographics, risk factors, and the competin...