Outcomes in the Year After First‐Ever Ischemic Stroke in a Bi‐Ethnic Population

OBJECTIVE: To investigate stroke outcomes at 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke overall and by ethnicity in a population-based, longitudinal study. METHODS: First-ever ischemic strokes (2014-2019, n = 1,332) among Mexican American persons (n = 807) and non-Hispanic white persons (n = 525) were identified from the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi Project. Data were collected from patient or proxy interviews (baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months post-stroke) and medical records, including functional (activities of daily living/instrumental activities of daily living score), neurological (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale), cognitive (Modified Mini-Mental State Examination), and quality of life (QOL) outcomes (12-domain Stroke-specific Quality of Life scale). Outcome trajectories were analyzed using multivariable adjusted linear models, with generalized estimating equations to account for within-subject correlations; interactions between ethnicity and time were included to investigate ethnic differences in outcomes. RESULTS: The median age was 67 years (interquartile range 58,78), 48.5% were women, and 60.6% were Mexican American persons. For all outcomes, significant improvement was seen between 3 and 6 months (p < 0.05 for all), with stability between 6 and 12 months. Mexican American persons had significantly worse outcomes compared with non-Hispanic white persons at all time points (3, 6, and 12 months), with the exception of the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, which did not differ by ethnicity at 6 and 12 months, and the average change in outcomes did not vary significantly by ethnicity. INTERPRETATION: Outcomes were at their worst at 3 months post-stroke, and ethnic disparities were already present, suggesting the need for early assessment and strategies to improve outcomes and possibly reduce disparities. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:348-356.