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Quitting smoking lowers second-stroke risk

Respiratory Care Weekly, August 30, 2006

A study published in the September Annals of Neurology by the University of Michigan Stroke Program shows that when a person has a second stroke, it doubles the risk of death within the next two years. While this is true for Americans overall, Mexican-Americans seem more vulnerable to suffering second strokes. Quitting smoking, the researchers say, is one way to cut down the risk of second strokes.

"This finding completes a picture that has been taking shape through research on ethnic differences in stroke," says lead author Lynda Lisabeth, PhD. "We know that Mexican-Americans have a higher overall risk of stroke, tend to have strokes starting at younger ages, and generally have a better chance of surviving their first stroke, compared with non-Hispanic whites. Now, by finding this higher rate of recurrence, we have a better idea of the overall burden of stroke in this population."

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