The frequency and severity of cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) are higher among the poorest people, particularly between 45 and 64 years old, according to a study published on Wednesday by the Ministry of Health. A difference of 40% was observed. People belonging to the poorest quarter of French people have a significantly higher risk of suffering a stroke than the richest quarter, underlines the Statistics Department (Drees) from an analysis of data from 2014 to 2017.
Social AND health inequalities: the #Drees publishes new results on the risk of stroke according to standard of living thanks to the matching of health data and socio-economic data. Significantly higher risk of stroke for the poorest 25%. https://t.co/Zj4VqPlKN0 pic.twitter.com/Xv4hLtOE9F
— Fabrice Lenglart (@FabriceLenglart) February 9, 2022
An increased risk of paralysis
This loss of chance varies with age and peaks between 45 and 64, an age group where “the rate of occurrence is almost twice as high”, before “fading out at old age”, with no difference being observed from the age of 85. The poorest also suffer more from the sequelae of their strokes: the risk of paralysis persisting beyond 24 hours (often hemiplegia) is increased by 22%, that of language impairment by 11%.
These complications are “strongly correlated with the quality and speed of initial care”. However, the standard of living plays in part on access to the “most appropriate services” in the hospital: the poor have in fact “10% less chance of being taken care of in UNV (neurovascular units )”, adds the Drees.
Source: 20minutes
