June 16, 2008
The Health Collaborative Seeks Participants for Project Measure Up Volunteer Corps
May 3, 2008
Celebrate Mother's Day with Gifts that Encourage a Healthy Lifestyle
April 10, 2008
Enjoy a Fun, Fit Fiesta!
March 3, 2008
Make Family Fitness Activities Part of Your Spring Break
Heart Health and Stroke
Cerebrovascular Disease
Heart and cerebrovascular disease (Stroke)—the principal components of cardiovascular disease—are the first- and third-leading causes of death in the United States respectively. These causes account for more than 40 percent of all deaths. Although cardiovascular disease (CVD) is often thought to primarily affect men and older people, it is also a killer of middle-age men and women. Studies have identified a number of factors including tobacco use, high fat diet, hypertension and obesity that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. In addition, clinical trials and prevention research studies have demonstrated effective strategies to prevent and control these risk factors and thereby reduce illnesses, disabilities, and deaths caused by heart disease and stroke.
Direct Care Physicians
Access to quality health care is especially important to persons with chronic conditions. Regular checkups and routine care for those with hypertension and other cerebrovascular risk factors can save lives. It is not surprising that since Bexar and Harris Counties have mainly urban populations, the counties also have higher direct care physician to population ratios than Texas as a whole. However, the access to direct care physicians in the southern part of Bexar County is substantially lower than is the case in the north. Lack of transportation, substantially lower incomes, and higher rates of uninsured populations have greater impact on a family’s ability to access care than is the case with more affluent families. The uneven distribution of health care providers is an important barrier to health care in South Bexar County.
Hospitalization rate for cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
In 2004, there were 3,626 hospital discharges related to stroke in Bexar County, or 23 per 100,000 people. The rate of hospitalization due to stroke (cerebrovascular disease) in five of Bexar County’s six sectors is lower than the Texas rate of 29 hospitalizations per 10,000. The East sector is the only area within the county representing a higher hospitalization rate due to stroke than the statewide average. The rate in the East sector is 36 hospitalizations per 10,000. This rate reflects racial disparities related to many causes of death that affect the African American population.
Age-adjusted mortality for cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
In 2004, the death rate due to stroke in Bexar County was 60 deaths per 100,000 population. The mortality rate has remained fairly constant since 1992. This is similar to the trend seen across Texas and in Harris County’s death rates between 1992 and 2004. It appears that there was a decrease in stroke mortality rates between 2000 and 2004 in Texas and Harris County but not in Bexar County.
Within Bexar County, the age-adjusted stroke mortality rate is similar to the Texas rate of 61 per 100,000 population. The rate is fairly even throughout the six sectors. Not surprisingly, the East sector, with the highest concentration of African Americans, has the highest rate in the county at 76 deaths per 100,000 people. The Northwest sector has the lowest rate due to stroke at 51 deaths per 100,000 people. In addition, the Northwest sector is the only other area that represents a lower mortality rate than the statewide average with a rate of 56 deaths per 100,000 people.
Years of potential life lost (YPLL) due to cerebrovascular disease (stroke)
Stroke (cerebrovascular disease) deaths, on average took 12.3 years of life for each premature death in 2004. The 130 premature deaths in 2004 claimed 1,594 years of life or 119 years of potential life per 100,000 population. The YPLL rate in Bexar County is higher than the Texas rate of 91/100,000. The Bexar County rate is generally consistent with the Harris County YPLL rate. Following a substantial jump between 1992 and 1996, the YPLL rate in Bexar County has been fairly stable for the past 8 years.
Premature mortality due to cerebrovascular disease varies considerably across Bexar County. The highest YPLL rate in Bexar County is in the East sector with a rate of 230 YPLL per 100,000 people living in the area. There is no detectable geographic pattern among the sectors. The lowest rate is 64 YPLL per 100,000. The average age at death for stroke is 77 years. It may be that at this age, death occurs more as the result of co-morbidities and other contributing physical factors.
