A narrative review of stroke incidence, risk factors and treatment in Indigenous Peoples of the world

Abstract

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third greatest cause of disability worldwide. In some countries, stroke disproportionally affects Indigenous Peoples, with greater incidence and mortality at younger ages, higher rates of conventional cardiovascular risk factors and lower treatment rates. Worldwide there are 470 million Indigenous Peoples, residing in 90 countries. Analogous to the general health of all populations, the cause of stroke and its outcomes are the result of complex interactions between factors that act at societal, service, and individual levels. Colonisation, including the cultural and material losses associated with it, is a major indirect driver of dispariti..