Health Equity and Actionable Disparities in Stroke: 2022 Update

Abstract

There are stark inequities in stroke incidence, prevalence, care, and outcomes. This issue of Stroke features manuscripts from the third annual HEADS-UP (Health Equity and Actionable Disparities in Stroke: Understanding and Problem-Solving) symposium, which took place the day before the International Stroke Conference in February 2022. The 2022 HEADS-UP symposium focused on clinical trials to address stroke inequities. The 2022 Edgar J. Kenton III award was awarded to Moira Kapral. In Kenton Award Lecture—Stroke Disparities Research: Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future, Kapral details 10 key considerations for researchers interested in addressing inequities in stroke. These considerations provide an insightful, evidence-based roadmap for the future of stroke inequities research. In the article, Care Transition Interventions to Improve Stroke Outcomes, Reeves et al highlight barriers faced by historically disenfranchised populations navigating transitions in the stroke continuum of care; summarize clinical trials aimed at enhancing transitions in care, particularly in historically marginalized populations; and stress the importance of co-designing future interventions with patient populations to address inequities. In Telehealth Trials to Enhance Health Equity for Patients With Stroke, Sharrief et al detail how telehealth interventions have the potential to address inequities if they are implemented in a thoughtful manner, addressing the potential factors than can exacerbate a digital divide. Finally, in Polypill Programs to Prevent Stroke and Cut Costs in Low Income Countries: From Clinical Efficacy to Implementation, Sarfo et al review the evidence for polypill strategies in primary and secondary cardiovascular disease prevention in low- and middle-income countries, who bear the majority of the worldwide burden of stroke.