Abstract 87: Eighteen-Year Trends in Ischemic Stroke Rates in a Bi-Ethnic Population

Introduction: Elevated stroke rates in Mexican Americans (MA) compared with non-Hispanic whites (NHW) persisted over the first decade of the 21 st century. Our objective was to investigate recent trends in ischemic stroke (IS) rates by ethnicity and age using data from a longstanding population-based study. Methods: ISs were identified in the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project (2000-2017) and validated by neurologists using a clinical definition. Race-ethnicity was from medical records. Annual population counts from the US Census estimated the at-risk population. Poisson regression was used to model sex-adjusted rate trends by ethnicity and age. Time was modeled using linear and quadratic terms. Ethnic differences were assessed using interaction terms between ethnicity and time. Results: 4,883 ISs were identified (median age 70 (IQR:59-80); 56% MA). Trends varied by ethnicity and age (figure). In those 45-59, rates increased substantially in NHWs (104%; p Conclusions: New patterns in stroke have emerged. Ethnic disparities have declined as a result of increasing rates in NHWs most notably in midlife. Reasons for increasing rates in recent years are unclear but suggest renewed attention to prevention.