Cuba: better care for stroke

doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7540.551-a

BMJ 2006;332:551 (4 March), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7540.551-a

Letter

Cuba: better care for stroke

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Cuba.The age adjusted mortality in 2003 was 43% lower than in 1970.Rates fell moderately in 1970-9 (2.8% per year), slightly overthe following two decades (0.15% per year), and more rapidlyin 2000 (3.5% per year).¹ This pattern shows that the impactof high rates of treatment and control of high blood pressureis just now being seen.^{1 2}

Hospital admission rates for stroke doubled in 1990-2003 inCienfuegos, Cuba's showcase for control of cardiovascular disease,while case fatality rates fell by 48%. This trend probably reflectsa combination of the increasing average age of the population,improvements in ascertainment and referral of cases, less severecases being admitted, and better quality of care.

Following the lessons learnt from the approach to acute myocardialinfarction that was applied in Cienfuegos,³ we implemented thefast track treatment to stroke . . . [Full text of this article]

Pedro O Orduñez-García, director

Hospital Gustavo Aldereguía Lima, Cienfuegos, Cuba pordunez@gal.sld.cu

Marcos D Iraola-Ferrer, doctor, Rubén Bembibre Taboada, doctor

Hospital Gustavo Aldereguía Lima, Cienfuegos, Cuba

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