title: Race/Ethnic differences in the risk of hemorrhagic complications among patients with ischemic stroke receiving thrombolytic therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Race/ethnic-related differences in safety of intravenous thrombolytic therapy have been shown in patients with myocardial infarction, but not studied in ischemic stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using data from the Get With The Guidelines (GWTG)-Stroke program (n=54 334), we evaluated differences in risk-adjusted bleeding rates (any, symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage [sICH], serious life-threatening [excluding sICH], or other) and mortality in white (n=40 411), black (n=8243), Hispanic (n=4257), and Asian (n=1523) patients receiving intravenous tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with white patients, overall adjusted hemorrhagic complications after tPA were higher in black (odds ratio, 1.14, 95% confidence interval, 1.04-1.28) and Asian (odds ratio, 1.36, 95% confidence interval, 1.14-1.61) patients. Overall adjusted bleeding complications in Hispanics were similar to those of whites. Increased risk of overall bleeding in Asians was related to higher risk of adjusted sICH (odds ratio, 1.47, 95% confidence interval, 1.19-1.82), whereas in blacks, it was related to higher risk of other bleeding. No significant race-related difference was noted in risk of serious or life-threatening bleeding or in overall mortality or death in patients with sICH or any hemorrhagic complications.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In patients with stroke receiving tPA, hemorrhagic complications were slightly higher in blacks and Asians, but not in Hispanics compared with whites. Asians also faced significantly higher risk for sICH relative to other race/ethnic groups. Future studies are needed to evaluate whether reduction in tPA dose similar to that used in many Asian countries could improve the safety of tPA therapy in Asians in the United States with acute ischemic strokes while maintaining efficacy.
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.). raj.mehta@dm.duke.edu.
authors: Rajendra H
authors: RH
authors: Mehta
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Margueritte
authors: M
authors: Cox
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Eric E
authors: EE
authors: Smith
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Xian
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Deepak L
authors: DL
authors: Bhatt
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Gregg C
authors: GC
authors: Fonarow
authors: From the Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Duke University Medical Center and Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC (R.H.M., M.C., Y.X., E.D.P.); Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada (E.E.S.); Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (D.L.B.); and Department of Internal Medicine/Division of Cardiology, University of California, Los Angeles (G.C.F.).
authors: Eric D
authors: ED
authors: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D020300:Intracranial Hemorrhages / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000208:ethnology; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator
keywords: outcome; race and ethnicity; stroke; thrombolysis