Indigenous people more likely to have a stroke

Indigenous people may be more likely to have a stroke than non-Indigenous people, according to a systematic review that looked at populations around the world. The review is published in the February 14, 2024, online issue of Neurology^®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Researchers looked at countries with a very high Human Development Index, which measures average achievements in three areas: health, knowledge and standard of living.

“Disparities are especially evident in countries where high average quality of life and long life expectancies are often not mirrored in Indigenous populations,” said study author Dr Anna H. Balabanski, an Australian Stroke Alliance fellow. “These disparities may reflect inequitable access to resources to prevent and manage stroke.”

The systematic review involved 24 studies across seven countries. The countries were Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, Sweden and the United States.

Researchers found that Indigenous people were more likely to have a stroke than those who were not Indigenous across six of the seven countries.

To view the media release for this publication, you can click on the following link.

To view the publication, click here.