Stroke incidence and subtypes in Aboriginal people in remote Australia: a healthcare network population-based study

Objectives We aimed to compare the incidence, subtypes and aetiology of stroke, and in-hospital death due to stroke, between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Central Australia, a remote region of Australia where a high proportion Aboriginal people reside (40% of the population). We hypothesised that the rates of stroke, particularly in younger adults, would be greater in the Aboriginal population, compared with the non-Aboriginal population; we aimed to elucidate causes for any identified disparities.Design A retrospective population-based study of patients hospitalised with stroke within a defined region from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2014.Setting Alice Springs Hospital, the only neuroimaging-capable acute hospital in Central Australia, serving a network of 50 healthcare facilities covering 672 000 km2.Participants 161 residents (63.4% Aboriginal) of the catchment area admitted to hospital with stroke.Primary and secondary outcome measures Rates of first-ever stroke, overall (all events) stroke and in-hospital death.Results Of 121 residents with first-ever stroke, 61% identified as Aboriginal. Median onset-age (54 years) was 17 years younger in Aboriginal patients (p