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Stroke is the third leading cause of death and the number-one etiology of long-term neurologic disability in the U.S. Researchers prospectively examined the Framingham Study cohorts during three intervals (1950–1977, 1978–1989, and 1990–2004) to ascertain trends in stroke incidence, severity, 30-day mortality, and risk. The authors defined clinical stroke as “rapidly developing signs of focal neurologic disturbance of presumed vascular etiology, lasting more than 24 hours.”
The age-adjusted incidence of first stroke per 1000 person-years decreased in each of the three intervals both in men (7.6, 6.2, and 5.3, respectively) and in women (6.2, 5.8, and 5.1). The 10-year risk at age 65 decreased significantly in men (from 19.5% to 14.5%) but no…