COLORADO
SPRINGS, Colo., July 22,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Worsening air quality and
temperature extremes are linked to increased stroke burden,
according to a study presented today at the Society of
NeuroInterventional Surgery's (SNIS) 21st Annual
Meeting. This trend disproportionately impacts underserved U.S.
communities, including those with lower incomes and a lack of
health resources.
The study, "Climate and Stroke: Using the Climate Vulnerability
Index to Identify Disparities in Stroke Burden and Access to Care"
examined the interaction between a community's estimated
vulnerability to climate change, self-reported cases of stroke and
distance to a comprehensive stroke center (CSC), a hospital with
certified neurointerventional specialists who can perform
thrombectomy, a minimally invasive procedure that uses a catheter
to reopen blocked arteries in the brain.
Researchers learned that stroke prevalence was higher in areas
with higher climate vulnerability scores, especially in the
Southeast and the Midwest. Across the entire country, stroke
incidence was 1.5 times higher in areas with the highest climate
vulnerability scores (in the top 10th percentile in the
Climate Vulnerability Index) compared to areas with lower scores
(in the 50th percentile). Rural areas were especially
likely to have high levels of combined climate vulnerability and
stroke prevalence.
Compounding the potential impact on underserved communities,
those with the highest levels of climate vulnerability were 2.67
times farther away from a CSC than communities with lower climate
vulnerability.
The team concluded that baseline health, socioeconomic and
infrastructure disparities between communities largely explained
the connection between high stroke prevalence and high climate
vulnerability. The researchers noted that it's essential to address
the inherent causes of communities' financial instability, lack of
medical resources and climate vulnerability before these
disparities worsen. In one detailed analysis, the researchers saw
that areas in metropolitan Atlanta
that were previously subjected to redlining (discriminatory housing
practices that deny financial services to individuals based on
their race or ethnicity) also had higher levels of stroke
prevalence and climate vulnerability.
"This study supports the hypothesis that community-level
disparities may impact your health," said Rebecca Achey, MD, primary author of the study
and a neurosurgery resident at the Cleveland Clinic. "It's
essential that we do more to ensure quick access to stroke care
among at risk groups while also addressing the underlying drivers
of the climate change-stroke association."
To receive a copy of this abstract or to speak with the study
authors, please contact Camille
Jewell at cjewell@vancomm.com or call 202-248-5460.
About the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery
The
Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS) is a scientific and
educational association dedicated to advancing the specialty of
neurointerventional surgery through research, standard-setting, and
education and advocacy to provide the highest quality of patient
care in diagnosing and treating diseases of the brain, spine, head,
and neck. Visit www.snisonline.org and follow us on X
(@SNISinfo) and Facebook (@SNISOnline).
CONTACT: Camille
Jewell
cjewell@vancomm.com or
202-248-5460
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SOURCE The Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery (SNIS)