Clinical characteristics of stroke among Chinese in New York City.
BACKGROUND
Limited information exists on clinical characteristics of stroke among Chinese persons living in the United States. We compared the clinical characteristics of Chinese and White stroke patients living in New York City.


METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of stroke patients hospitalized at NYU Downtown Hospital from January 1995 to July 1998.


RESULTS
During 3.5 years, there were 728 admissions for stroke (454 Chinese, 115 Whites, 75 Blacks, 80 Hispanics, and 4 other Asia). Chinese and White patients had similar age and gender distributions. Compared with Whites, Chinese patients had a lower body mass index (22.8 vs 25.8, respectively, P=0.02), were less likely to smoke (13% vs 20%, respectively, P<0.01), or regularly consume alcohol (8% vs 25%, respectively, P<0.01). Although recorded blood pressure was similar, Chinese patients were more likely than Whites to have a history of hypertension (77% vs 64%, respectively, P=0.03), left ventricular hypertrophy (37% vs 25%, respectively. P=0.02), history of diabetes (33% vs 21%, respectively, P=0.01), and higher levels of blood lipids and glucose. Chinese patients were more likely than Whites to have hemorrhagic stroke (24% vs 17%, respectively, P=0.02). Overall age-adjusted in-hospital mortality rate was 14.2%, and no significant difference was observed between Chinese and Whites (13.8% vs 14.8%, respectively, P=0.1). For both races, hemorrhagic stroke was far more likely to be fatal than ischemic stroke (34.5% vs 6.1%, respectively, P<0.001). Factors associated with in-hospital death included systolic blood pressure, blood glucose level, history of coronary heart disease, and diabetes.


CONCLUSIONS
Chinese patients who suffered a stroke showed higher risk profiles, and were more likely to experience a more lethal hemorrhagic stroke, compared to White patients. The short-term in-hospital survival rates were similar between Chinese and White patients with stroke.
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. fang@aecom.yu.edu
Jing
J
Fang
Sun Hoo
SH
Foo
Jiann-Shing
JS
Jeng
Ping-Keung
PK
Yip
Michael H
MH
Alderman
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001213:Asian / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology*; D016019:Survival Analysis; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*