Racial disparities in subarachnoid hemorrhage mortality: Los Angeles County, California, 1985-1998.
We examined the racial distribution of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) mortality in a unique multiracial community. Mortality rates for SAH among the residents of Los Angeles County were calculated from death certificate data (1985-1998). Residential postal zones were classified into three strata as a measure of socioeconomic status. The number of SAH deaths was 2,897. The age-adjusted SAH mortality rate was 1.9 in whites, 2.7 in Hispanics, 3.0 in Asians and 3.7 in blacks. In those younger than 70 years of age, the SAH mortality rate among blacks was 2.2 times that of whites and 1.8 times that of Hispanics and Asians. The SAH mortality rate declines after age 70 in blacks. The SAH mortality rate was higher in women than in men in all races and it was highest in elderly Asian women (23.5 per 100,000). An inverse relationship was observed between income and SAH mortality rates in all racial groups except whites.
Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif. 90048, USA. schievinkw@cshs.org
Wouter I
WI
Schievink
Mary
M
Riedinger
Tajinder K
TK
Jhutty
Paul
P
Simon
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D002391:Catchment Area, Health; D002648:Child; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013345:Subarachnoid Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality*