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heAlth Monday 24 april 2023
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Racial gap in U.S. stroke deaths widened during pandemic HEALTH

DOCTOR ON DUTY
By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer Oranjestad
NEW YORK (AP) — The Hospital 7:00 pm / 10:00pm
longstanding racial gap in Tel. 527 4000
U.S. stroke death rates wid- San Nicolas
ened dramatically during
the COVID-19 pandemic, Imsan 24 hours
Tel.524 8833
government researchers Women in Difficulties
said Thursday. PHARMACY ON DUTY
Stroke death rates in-
creased for both Black and Oranjestad:
white adults in 2020 and Eagle: Tel. 587 9011
Centro Medico: Tel. 584 5794
2021, according to the
Centers for Disease Control Women in Difficulties
and Prevention study. But OTHER
the difference between Dental Clinic 587 9850
the two groups grew about Blood Bank Aruba 587 0002
22%, compared with the Urgent Care 586 0448
five years before the pan- Walk-In Doctor’s Clinic
+297 588 0539
demic. Women in Difficulties
"Any health inequity that EMERGENCY
existed before seems to
have been made larger Tombstones mark graves at the Lincoln Memorial Cemetery in Portsmouth, Va., Tuesday, March Police 100
during the pandemic," said 23, 2021. Oranjestad 527 3140
Dr. Bart Demaerschalk, a Associated Press Noord 527 3200
Sta. Cruz
527 2900
stroke researcher at the San Nicolas 584 5000
Mayo Clinic in Phoenix crease. The paper joins a schalk that was published was rising. And that "mis- Police Tipline 11141
who was not involved in growing number of studies last year. But the virus prob- match" may have been Ambulancia 911
the new study. "This is an- that detected a dispropor- ably wasn't the only factor, more pronounced for Fire Dept. 115
other example of that." tionately large increase in Demaerschalk said. some Black people, be- Red Cross 582 2219
During a stroke, something minority stroke death rates Obesity may have wors- cause of lack of access TAXI SERVICES
blocks or reduces blood since the pandemic be- ened, he said. People of medical care and risk Taxi Tas 587 5900
flow to part of the brain or gan. What drove the in- probably saw their doctors factors for COVID-19 and Prof. Taxi 588 0035
a blood vessel in the brain creases? less often. And many were stroke, he said.q Taxi D.T.S. 587 2300
bursts. It can result in brain Doctors say COVID-19 in- reluctant to go to a hospi- Taxi Serv. Aruba 583 3232
damage or long-term dis- fection can raise the risk of tal when stroke symptoms A1 Taxi Serv. 280 2828
ability and is the nation's stroke. This mainly happens developed — especially in Women in Difficulties
fifth leading cause of in severe COVID-19 illness, the early days of the pan- TRAVEL INFO
death. and the problem is worse in demic, when fear of catch- Aruba Airport 524 2424
Until about a decade ago, people that already have ing the new virus may have American Airlines 582 2700
the U.S. stroke death rate partially blocked blood surpassed concerns about Avianca 588 0059
was falling because of im- vessels because of other stroke symptoms, he add- Jet Blue 588 2244
proved treatment and re- conditions. ed. Surinam 582 7896
duced smoking rates. The Patients with diabetes, "Time is absolutely of the Women in Difficulties
decline halted in 2013 at high blood pressure, high essence" in treating strokes, AID FOUNDATIONS
about 70 per 100,000 adults cholesterol and a history Demaerschalk said.
35 and older. Experts think of smoking seemed to be So people were less likely FAVI- Visually Impaired
Tel. 582 5051
increases in obesity and re- at highest risk, according to get medical care at the
lated conditions finally off- to a study led by Demaer- same time the risk of stroke Alcoholics Anonymous
Tel. 736 2952
set some of things that had Narcotics Anonymous
been driving stroke deaths Tel. 583 8989
down. Fundacion Contra Violencia
It climbed the last few Relacional Tel. 583 5400
years, rising to nearly 77 in Centre for Diabetes
2021. Tel. 524 8888
Black Americans have long Child Abuse Prevention
Tel. 582 4433
had a higher stroke death
rate than their white coun- Quota Club Tel. 525 2672
Women in Difficulties
terparts, a gap that was General Info
fairly steady for decades.
In 2021, according to the Phone Directory Tel. 118
new study, the Black stroke
death rate rate for Ameri-
cans aged 35 and older
rose from about 101 per
100,000 before the pan-
demic to about 113. The
white rate rose from about
about 70 per 100,000 to 75.
The difference between
those two measures rose
from 31 to 38, a 22% in- facebook.com/arubatoday/