Kissimmee, FL - The cost of treating ischemic strokes in Hispanic Americans will run past the $350-billion mark between now and 2050, a new analysis suggests [1]. According to Dr Devin Brown, who presented projections at the recent American Stroke Association International Stroke Conference 2006, the findings underline the urgent need for better stroke prevention and treatment initiatives in Hispanic Americans.

As Brown explained to heartwire, Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the US, but they are less likely to be insured, have limited access to quality healthcare, receive less adequate stroke prophylaxis, and have a higher incidence of ischemic stroke than non-Hispanic whites.

An aging Hispanic population will only accentuate inequalities in care, she adds.

Brown et al's study calculated current and future costs and population projections using a combination of census data, published epidemiological data, and Medicare reimbursement information. Direct costs for new strokes were estimated from ambulance services, initial hospitalization, inpatient/outpatient rehabilitation and equipment, and neurology-clinic visits. Direct costs for prevalent strokes were derived from costs of drugs, doctor visits, nursing homes, and informal care, as well as indirect medical costs due to lost potential earnings.

A booming population is the primary reason for the rocketing costs, the researchers note. By 2050, Hispanics will make up 25% of the US population and as such, the number of Hispanics with incident and prevalent stroke will radically increase, they predict.

Given these increases, the authors predict that the cost of treating strokes in the growing population of Hispanics between 2005 and 2050—even if the rate of stroke remains unchanged—will be more than $357 billion dollars. One quarter of that cost ($86 billion) will be due to initial hospitalization costs, while almost another quarter ($79 billion) will be due to lost earnings.

"Ethnic disparities in stroke-related healthcare have been recognized as a critical issue, both for the medical and public-health communities," Brown told heartwire. "The anticipated economic burden of stroke-related healthcare for Hispanics . . . highlights the need to prioritize health disparities research."

More research is needed to accurately quantify the burden of stroke, she added, as are strategies to reduce this burden. As well, "Programs must be in place to monitor the impact of prevention efforts," she noted.

Brown et al are planning to repeat their analysis in non-Hispanic white and African American populations, but until these analyses are done, it's not possible to compare the findings from the current study with other ethnic groups, she said.