Intracerebral hemorrhage in blacks. Risk factors, subtypes, and outcome

Blacks are at a higher risk for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) than whites; however, few data are available regarding the demographic and clinical characteristics of ICH among blacks.

We determined the frequency of risk factors, etiologic subtypes, and outcome among consecutive black patients admitted with nontraumatic ICH to a university-affiliated public hospital.

The most common risk factors in the 403 black patients with ICH were preexisting hypertension (77%), alcohol use (40%), and smoking (30%). Among the 91 nonhypertensive patients, 21 (23%) were diagnosed with hypertension after onset. Compared with women, men had a younger age of onset (54 versus 60 years; P < .001) and higher frequency of alcohol use (54% versus 22%; P < .001) and smoking (39% versus 17%; P < .001). ICH secondary to hypertension (n = 311) and of undetermined etiology (n = 73) were the most common subtypes in blacks. Patients aged 65 years and older (compared with those aged 15 to 44 years; P = .001) and women (compared with men; P = .02) were more likely to be dependent at discharge.

Primary preventive strategies are required to reduce the high frequency of modifiable risk factors predisposing to ICH in blacks.