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Aim We aim to describe differences in stroke risk factors, subtypes and outcomes in a multi-ethnic Irish Stroke population. Gaining an insight into prevalent risk factors and subtypes in ethnic groups may help target prevention efforts. Methods We retrospectively identified patients originally not of Irish ethnicity (ONIE) admitted to the acute stroke unit between 2016 and 2018 through surname recognition (N=44). Country of origin was confirmed on chart review. The presumed native Irish (PNI) patients admitted over the same time frame were used as a comparison group (N=437). Data was collected on stroke subtype, comorbidities, outcomes and socioeconomic factors. Results Patients ONIE made up 9.1% of all stroke unit admissions. Male gender was more common accounting for 33 of 44 (75%) patients ONIE and 251 of 437 (57.4%) PNI (p = 0.02). Overall ONIE were younger than PNI patients (mean age 57.5 [SD 13.0] vs 69.6yr [SD 13.2], p <0.001). Patients ONIE also recorded higher rates of intracranial haemorrhage(ICH) (N = 15 [34.1%] vs N=51 [11.7%], p <0.01). Conclusion Our study demonstrates that stroke patients ONIE have a different stroke subtype and demographic profile compared to Irish patients. Patients ONIE are more likely to be young, male with higher rates of ICH., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

Cardiovascular disease is increased in US groups versus Japanese counterparts. Increased arterial stiffness is an important predictor of cardiovascular risk. Pulse wave velocity correlates well with arterial stiffness. Gender and ethnic differences in biracial US adolescent groups have been described. No data are available evaluating differences in arterial stiffness between US and Japanese subjects. Previously published data from an adolescent (12-17 years of age) Japanese cohort were used as an historical control and were compared to an adolescent cohort from the United States. The same simple noninvasive oscillometric technique was used in each cohort to measure brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) as an index of arterial stiffness. The US group was a cross-sectional, biracial (64% African American, 56% female) sample of 162 subjects. The Japanese group was a cross-sectional (48% female) sample of 820 Japanese subjects. All subjects in both cohorts were normotensive (BP < 95% for gender, height, and age) adolescents (12-17 years of age). Subjects were analyzed in four groups on the basis of gender and age (12-14 and 15-17 years of age). In both individual cohorts, the mean baPWV was higher in males versus females and the baPWV increased with age. The mean baPWV was higher in all US groups versus Japanese counterparts (p < 0.0001). The mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were higher in all Japanese groups versus US counterparts (p < 0.005). Differences in arterial stiffness are present and detectable between normotensive US and Japanese adolescent subjects. Increased arterial stiffness among these adolescent groups correlates with known adult risk for cardiovascular events among the same ethnic and gender groups.

We predicted Grade 12 use of illicit drugs other than marijuana ("hard" drugs) from characteristics at Grade 10, examining the protective value of social bonds and testing whether certain social bonds have greater importance for some racial/ethnic groups. We also explored the association of previous substance use with later "hard" drug use when social bonds and a broad range of other personal and environmental variables are statistically controlled. Bonds with family were inversely related to any use of illicit drugs other than marijuana; various forms of prior use were positively related to both any and frequent use. However, variables other than social bonds and prior use were equal or stronger predictors of both outcomes. Some differences were obtained across racial groups: African-Americans were less likely to use illicit drugs other than marijuana, Mexican-Americans were more affected by family factors than were other groups, and Asian-Americans were more affected by school failure. Implications for prevention are discussed.

Second-trimester maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), and unconjugated estriol (uE3) are routinely measured in screening fetuses at high risk for Down syndrome or open neural tube defects (ONTD). For test interpretation, individual patient values of these three analytes are related to population-derived median values. We evaluated data from >21000 pregnancies to determine the extent of race-specific differences in median concentrations. For samples at most gestational ages, median AFP, hCG, and uE3 values for white, black, Hispanic, and other patients were all significantly different. Differences remained significant even when data were corrected for patient weights. For each analyte, the extent of the variation was not the same at different gestational ages. Differences in median values across race/ethnicity groups appear to have only a small impact in Down syndrome screening but it may be appropriate to use alternative sets of AFP medians or adjustment factors to AFP medians for some Asian populations receiving ONTD screening.

Substance use research in the United States has focused on ethnicity/race to the detriment of studying the role of nonethnic sociocultural factors. Reliance on politically defined ethnic categories has not added to knowledge on the etiology, prevalence, prevention, or treatment of substance use and misuse. Rather it has reflected the preoccupation with race/ethnicity in the larger United States society and has contributed to further stereotyping of non-European ethnic groups. Ethnicity serves as a proxy for a number of sociocultural factors (e.g., socioeconomic status) that are linked to substance use. To make progress in understanding substance use and misuse, researchers must move away from the simplistic reliance on ethnic labels to a more complex understanding of the impact of the sociocultural variables that such labels represent.