Haemorrhagic Stroke Prevalence Increasing In UK's South Asian Population

Main Category: Stroke
Also Included In: Hypertension;  Cardiovascular / Cardiology
Article Date: 18 Jun 2010 - 2:00 PDT

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Haemorrhagic stroke prevalence is increasing among the UK's South Asian population comprising of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis and Sri-Lankans, due to an increase in one of its key risk factors, high blood pressure (hypertension), according to new data presented at the World Congress of Cardiology (WCC) Scientific Sessions in Beijing, China.

The prevalence of haemorrhagic stroke increased significantly among South Asians during the study (27.7 per cent in 1997-1999; 29.5 per cent in 2000-2002; and 45.8 per cent in 2003-2005, whilst the prevalence of the condition decreased in European Caucasians during the same period. Similarly, the prevalence of hypertension - the main risk factor for haemorrhagic stroke - also increased in the South Asian group over the same time period (84.6 per cent in 1997-1999 to 88.9 per cent in 2003-2005) but remained the same in European Caucasians.

Haemorrhagic stoke accounts for 10 to 30 per cent of all stroke admissions to hospital. It is associated with several risk factors including hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia, which are becoming increasingly prevalent among ethnic minority groups. An understanding of secular trends in the prevalence of haemorrhagic stroke admissions and in-hospital mortality in a multi-ethnic population is required to delineate the needs for providing a dynamic healthcare service, not only in multi-ethnic UK but also rapidly developing countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri-lanka.

"The ethnic differences observed in the prevalence of hypertension among haemorrhagic stoke patients could be due to several factors including inherent genetic or lifestyle differences, variations in their medical management and warrant further investigation," said Dr Rahul Potluri, Honorary Research Associate, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London. "Our observations outline the importance of a targeted health care approach in migrant ethnic minorities and highlight the importance of extending the study worldwide to identify acquired and environmental causes of such disease in these populations where clearly their incidence is increasing"

Ethnic differences in the prevalence of haemorrhagic stoke admissions to a multi-ethnic hospital population in Birmingham, UK and associated mortality, were studied over a nine year period (1997-2005). The secular trends in hospital admission rates and the prevalence of risk factors, such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, atrial fibrillation and myocardial infarction among European Caucasian, South-Asian and Afro-Caribbean patients were observed.

Source
World Heart Federation

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