BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Stroke survivors younger than 65 have more difficulty accessing treatment than their older counterparts, a new U.S. study says.
Stroke patients from age 45 to 64 were more likely to report not visiting a general physician, not visiting a general physician or medical specialist, and more than twice as likely to be unable to afford medications, according to a study of 3,681 stroke survivors appearing in the January 2007 issue of the Archives of Neurology.
The lack of access of care is a severe health risk because stroke survivors need comprehensive care to modify their risk factors for heart disease and prevent secondary strokes, said the authors of the study.
The reason younger stroke patients lack access to care may be their socioeconomic status, the study found. Compared with older stroke survivors, their younger counterparts were more likely to be black, male and to not have health insurance. Eleven percent of the under-65 survivors lacked insurance, compared with less than 1 percent of those over 65.
Further research is needed to determine if the lack of access leads to more health problems for younger stroke survivors, the study's authors concluded.
