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Relative Incidence of Atherothrombotic
Stroke and MI by Age and Gender
36-Year Follow-up Data from
the Framingham Study
Age is an important risk factor for atheromthrobotic
stroke -- referred to as "atheromthrombotic infarction"
in the Farmingham Study -- as well as for myocardial infarction
(MI) in both men and women. Atherothrombotic stroke
(large-vessel and small vessel) accounts for 51% of all strokes
[Stroke/Brain Attack Reporter's Handbook. Englewood, Colo:
National Stroke Association; 1995].
After 36 years of follow-up in the Framingham
Study, the age-adjusted average annual incidence rate of MI
in men was 3 times that of thrombotic stroke. However,
the ratio differed in women, in whom the incidence of MI was
2 times that of thrombotic stroke. The data also indicated
that MI developed 2.75 times more often in men than in women,
while thrombotic stroke was approximately 1.3 times more frequent
in men.
As compared to men, women showed about a 20-year
lag in the incidence of MI (e.g., whereas the average annual
incidence of MI among men age 45-54 was 6.1 per 1,000 persons,
women did not show a similar incidence until age 65-74).
However, such a lag was not seen for thrombotic stroke, where
age-specific rates were similar in both men and women.
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Stroke Education
