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Background: We report the prevalence and incidence of atherothrombotic brain infarction (ABI) in older Hispanic men and women in a long-term health care facility.Methods: The prevalence and incidence of ABI and the association of risk factors with new ABI were investigated in 201 Hispanic men, mean age 79 +/- 8 years, and in 302 Hispanic women, mean age 80 +/- 9 years, in a long-term health care facility. Mean follow-up was 42 +/- 20 months in men and 47 +/- 26 months in women.Results: The prevalence of prior ABI was 33% in Hispanic men and 30% in Hispanic women. The incidence of new ABI was 24% in Hispanic men and 23% in Hispanic women. Significant independent risk factors for new ABI were age (risk ratio = 1.09 in men and 1.08 in women for each increase of 1 year of age), current cigarette smoking (risk ratio = 2.8 in men and 2.7 in women), hypertension (risk ratio = 2.8 in men), diabetes mellitus (risk ratio = 3.5 in men and 5.0 in women), prior ABI (risk ratio = 5.6 in men and 5.5 in women), serum total cholesterol (risk ratio = 1.03 in men and 1.01 in women for each 1 mg/dl increase), and serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (risk ratio = 1.06 in men and 1.06 in women for each 1 mg/dl decrease).Conclusions: Significant independent risk factors for new ABI were age, current cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus, prior ABI, serum total cholesterol, and serum HDL cholesterol (inverse association) in older Hispanic men and women and hypertension in older Hispanic men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]