Mexican-Americans receive fewer post-stroke rehab services

New research studying stroke rehabilitation has found that Mexican-Americans disproportionately receive fewer rehab services after a stroke compared to their white counterparts, a finding that could explain why Mexican-Americans tend to suffer more from long-term stroke effects.

The study, published in the journal Stroke, was led by researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death for Hispanic and Latino Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and it’s the third leading cause of death for blacks, Asians and Pacific Islanders. It’s the fifth leading cause of death for white Americans.

Researchers looked at data from 72 white and Mexican-American stroke patients in Corpus Christi, Texas, about two-thirds of whom received stroke rehabilitation.

Of those that received rehab, 73 percent of white patients underwent inpatient rehab, a more rigorous and effective recovery program, while only 30 percent of Mexican-Americans did. Mexican-Americans were more likely to receive care at home or in an outpatient setting even though they had higher rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking compared to the white patients.

Prior research has shown inpatient care is more valuable the patients after they've suffered a stroke. They can usually spend much more time in these facilities than in outpatient centers and have access to a variety of exercise machines that help them restore motor functions.

“[There is] a tendency for minorities—in this case, Hispanics—to have less access to rehabilitation in a hospital, which has implications in terms of recovery,” said Salvador Cruz-Flores, MD, chair of neurology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in El Paso, in a statement.

Researchers said further research is needed to identify the specific reasons for why Mexican-Americans are more likely to receive home rehabilitation care.