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<p> </p><p>The evidence from epidemiological and observational studies over the past five decades consistently identify a significant association of blood pressure level and disease risks for both sexes, all races and cultures, as well as all age groups. The evidence is strong such that clinical guidelines and intervention programs focus on blood pressure management and lower blood pressure levels for primary and secondary stroke prevention supported and promoted by numerous organizations including the World Hypertension League. These comprehensive components of population risk reduction are ideal models for the clinical medicine and population health partnership, and timely for global implementation. The accelerated decline in blood pressure-related outcomes (eg, stroke mortality), which began in the 1970s in the US and Western countries, included models for aggressive detection, treatment and control strategies for hypertension. These strategies can be implemented on a global scale to respond to the global risks from blood pressure, which is developing in the most vulnerable populations. <em>Ethn Dis. </em>2016;26(3):267-270; doi: 10.18865/ed.26.3.267</p><p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span></p>

The randomized clinical trial (RCT) has long been recognized as the 'gold standard' for developing evidence for clinical treatments and vaccines; however, the successful imple­mentation and translation of these findings is predicated upon external validity. The generalization of RCT findings are jeopar­dized by the lack of participation of at-risk groups such as African Americans, with long-recognized disproportional representa­tion. Distinct factors that deter participation in RCTs include distrust, access, recruitment strategies, perceptions of research, and socio­economic factors. While strategies have been implemented to improve external validity with greater participation among all segments of the population in RCTs, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may exacerbate disparities in RCT participation with the potential impact of delaying treat­ment development and vaccine interventions that are applicable and generalizable. Thus, it is essential to include diverse populations in such strategies and RCTs. This Perspec­tive aims to direct attention to the additional harm from the pandemic as well as a refocus on the unresolved lack of inclusion of diverse populations in conducting RCTs. Ethn Dis. 2020;30(3):429-432; doi:10.18865/ed.30.3.429

<p class="Default">Racial-ethnic disparities in stroke recovery are well-established in the United States but the underlying causes are not well-understood. The typical assumption that racial-ethnic disparities in stroke recov­ery are explained by health care access inequities may be simplistic as access to stroke-related rehabilitation, for example, does not adequately explain the observed disparities. To approach the problem in a more comprehensive fashion, the Wide Spectrum Investigation of Stroke Outcome Disparities on Multiple Levels (WISSDOM) was developed to bring together scientists from Regenerative Medicine, Neurology, Rehabilitation, and Nursing to examine disparities in stroke "recovery." As a result, three related projects (basic science, clinical science and population science) were de­signed utilizing animal modeling, mapping of brain connections, and community-based interventions. In this article we describe: 1) the goals and objectives of the individual projects; and 2) how these projects could provide critical evidence to explain why racial-ethnic minorities traditionally experi­ence recovery trajectories that are worse than Whites.</p><p class="Default"><em>Ethn Dis. </em>2018;28(1):61-68; doi:10.18865/ed.28.1.61.</p>

Background and Purpose: Blacks have a higher burden of post-stroke disability. Factors associated with racial differences in long-term post-stroke disability are not well-understood. Our aim was to assess the long-term racial differences in risk factors associated with stroke recovery.Methods: We examined Health and Retire­ment Study (HRS) longitudinal interview data collected from adults living with stroke who were aged >50 years during 2000- 2014. Analysis of 1,002 first-time, non- Hispanic, Black (210) or White (792) stroke survivors with data on activities of daily liv­ing (ADL), fine motor skills (FMS) and gross motor skills (GMS) was conducted. Ordinal regression analysis was used to assess the impact of sex, race, household residents, household income, comorbidities, and the time since having a stroke on functional outcomes.Results: Black stroke survivors were young­er compared with Whites (69 ± 10.4 vs 75 ± 11.9). The majority (~65%) of Black stroke survivors were female compared with about 54% White female stroke survivors (P=.007). Black stroke survivors had more household residents (P<.001) and comor­bidities (P<.001). Aging, being female, being Black and a longer time since stroke were associated with a higher odds of hav­ing increased difficulty in ADL, FMS and/or GMS. Comorbidities were associated with increased difficulty with GMS. Black race increased the impact of comorbidities on ADL and FMS in comparison with Whites.Conclusion: Our data suggest that the effects of aging, sex and unique factors associated with race should be taken into consideration for future studies of post-stroke recovery and therapy.Ethn Dis. 2020;30(2):339-348; doi:10.18865/ ed.30.2.339

Each year, the American Heart Association (AHA), in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and other government agencies, brings together the most up-to-date statistics on heart disease, stroke, other vascular diseases, and their risk factors and presents them in its Heart Disease and Stroke Statistical Update. The Statistical Update is a valuable resource for researchers, clinicians, healthcare policy makers, media professionals, the lay public, and many others who seek the best national data available on disease morbidity and mortality and the risks, quality of care, medical procedures and operations, and costs associated with the management of these diseases in a single document. Indeed, since 1999, the Statistical Update has been cited more than 8700 times in the literature (including citations of all annual versions). In 2009 alone, the various Statistical Updates were cited ≈1600 times (data from ISI Web of Science). In recent years, the Statistical Update has undergone some major changes with the addition of new chapters and major updates across multiple areas. For this year's edition, the Statistics Committee, which produces the document for the AHA, updated all of the current chapters with the most recent nationally representative data and inclusion of relevant articles from the literature over the past year and added a new chapter detailing how family history and genetics play a role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Also, the 2011 Statistical Update is a major source for monitoring both cardiovascular health and disease in the population, with a focus on progress toward achievement of the AHA's 2020 Impact Goals. Below are a few highlights from this year's Update.

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a continuous and robust impact on world health. The resulting COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating physical, mental and fiscal impact on the millions of people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). In addition to older age, people living with CVD, stroke, obesity, diabetes, kidney disease, and hypertension are at a particularly greater risk for severe forms of COVID-19 and its consequences. Meta-analysis indicates that hypertension, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and thrombotic complications have been observed as both the most prevalent and most dangerous co-morbidities in COVID-19 patients. And despite the nearly incalculable physical, mental, emotional, and economic toll of this pandemic, forthcoming public health figures continue to place cardiovascular disease as the number one cause of death across the globe in the year 2020. The world simply cannot wait for the next pandemic to invest in NCDs. Social determinants of health cannot be addressed only through the healthcare system, but a more holistic multisectoral approach with at its basis the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is needed to truly address social and economic inequalities and build more resilient systems. Yet there is reason for hope: the 2019 UN Political Declaration on UHC provides a strong framework for building more resilient health systems, with explicit calls for investment in NCDs and references to fiscal policies that put such investment firmly within reach. By further cementing the importance of addressing circulatory health in a future Framework Convention on Emergency Preparedness, WHO Member States can take concrete steps towards a pandemic-free future. As the chief representatives of the global circulatory health community and patients, the Global Coalition for Circulatory Health calls for increased support for the healthcare workforce, global vaccine equity, embracing new models of care and digital health solutions, as well as fiscal policies on unhealthy commodities to support these investments.