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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Eugene TangORCiD, Dr Uche AnyanwaguORCiD, Professor Christopher PriceORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
Copyright: © 2026 Tang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Ethnic disparities in stroke incidence and recurrence are well-known but there is conflicting evidence regarding post-stroke care and recovery. In the UK, stroke-survivors are recommended a six-month specialist review but fewer than half receive this review, potentially exacerbating health inequities. Using data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) from inception to August 2023 across four regions in England with varying ethnicity profiles we conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis to assess ethnic differences in six-month care and outcomes for stroke-survivors. A total of 80,413 (26.2%) stroke-survivors attended their 6-month review (whites: 26.5%, Black patients: 27.9%; Asian patients: 26.1%; Mixed patient: 27.6%; other: 23.5% other; unknown: 23.1%) with a higher proportion of reviews taking place via telephone for Black and Asian patients (X = 955.7, p = 0.001). After adjustment, non-White patients were significantly more likely to be followed up at 6 months (Black patients OR 1.29 (95%CI 1.21-1.38), Asian patients OR 1.10 (95% CI: 1.04-1.15). The odds of having a further stroke (Black OR 1.49 (95% CI: 1.21-1.84), Asian OR 1.25 (95% CI 1.03-1.52)) or other illness requiring hospital readmission (Black OR 1.25 (95% CI: 1.12-1.40), Asian OR 1.15 (1.05-1.27)) were significantly higher in Black and Asian patients following adjustment for age and stroke severity. At six months lipid therapy was significantly lower in Black patients (OR 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72-0.87)). Black and Asian stroke-survivors experience worse outcomes and lower use of secondary prevention despite similar clinic attendance. Culturally sensitive interventions are needed to reduce post-stroke complications.
Author(s): Tang EYH, Anyanwagu U, Fu Y, Price C
Publication type: Article
Publication status: Published
Journal: PLoS ONE
Year: 2026
Volume: 21
Issue: 8
Online publication date: 05/08/2026
Acceptance date: 07/07/2026
Date deposited: 17/08/2026
ISSN (electronic): 1932-6203
Publisher: Public Library of Science
URL: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0354353
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0354353
Data Access Statement: All data used in this study has been requested from SSNAP and the Healthcare Quality Improvement Programme (HQIP) (reference HQIP450) where certain restrictions apply. A data request form must be completed and submitted to SSNAP alongside a Data Access Request form to HQIP for consideration. Requests to access these datasets should be directed to SSNAP, https://www.strokeaudit.org/Research/Data-requests.aspx.
PubMed id: 42555567
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