Stroke risk factor profiles in African American women: an interim report from the African-American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study.
OBJECTIVE
If sex differences in stroke risk factor profiles exist among African Americans in the United States, prevention strategies will need to reflect those differences. African Americans and women have been underrepresented in stroke prevention studies. The purpose of this study was to determine whether medical and lifestyle factors differ among women and men who have enrolled in the African-American Antiplatelet Stroke Prevention Study (AAASPS).


METHODS
We performed a planned exploratory analysis of differences in baseline characteristics and risk factors between women and men enrolled in AAASPS, a double-blind, randomized, multicenter, controlled trial. Frequencies of vascular risk factors and related conditions, medical therapies, stroke subtypes, and vascular territories were compared between women and men by 1-way ANOVA and Fisher's exact test where appropriate.


RESULTS
A total of 1087 African American patients (574 women, 513 men) enrolled between December 1995 and June 1999. Women had higher rates of hypertension, diabetes, family history of stroke, and no reported leisure exercise. Men had higher rates of smoking and heavy alcohol use. Few differences were noted in proportions of stroke subtype or proportions receiving preventive therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
AAASPS represents the largest enrollment of African American women in a recurrent stroke prevention study. Our data suggest that African American women in a clinical trial differ from men in the frequency of key vascular risk factors. Although limited, these data provide an important first characterization of sex differences in African Americans with stroke.
Worrall
Bradford B
BB
Department of Neurology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 22908, USA.
Johnston
Karen C
KC
Kongable
Gail
G
Hung
Elena
E
Richardson
DeJuran
D
Gorelick
Philip B
PB
D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017677:Age Distribution; D044383:Black People; D015897:Comorbidity; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003710:Demography; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015337:Multicenter Studies as Topic; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012737:Sex Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors