The following is a summary of “Disability Status and Secondary Prevention Among Survivors of Stroke: A Cross‐Sectional Analysis of the 2011 to 2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey,” published in the November 2023 issue of Cardiology by Zhou et al.

In this cross-sectional analysis of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011-2018), the researchers explored the correlation between disability status among stroke survivors and the management of diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension. Assessing self-reported data from individuals aged 20 years and above who had experienced a stroke, they scrutinized the rates of treatment and control of these three key risk factors among those with and without disabilities. Using logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, and medical history, the study group evaluated the associations between disability status and managing and controlling risk factors. Among stroke survivors, where the mean age was 65.1 years, and 55.5% were female, approximately 76% reported at least one form of disability across various physical or functional domains. The age-standardized treatment rates for diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension were 33.1%, 67.5%, and 78.4%, respectively, while the corresponding control rates were 86.8%, 20.5%, and 47.1%. 

However, the adjusted models revealed similar odds of receiving treatment and controlling these risk factors between stroke survivors with disabilities and those without disabilities, indicating comparable management outcomes regardless of disability status among stroke survivors in the United States.

Source: ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.123.030869