Researchers at King’s College London examined data from more than 8,500 adults participating in the South London Stroke Register over a 30-year period to assess trends in stroke risk factors across ethnic groups. The analysis revealed that the prevalence of key risk factors, including diabetes and hypertension, increased at a faster rate among Black people than white people during the study timeframe.
The research found that diabetes was approximately twice as common in Black Caribbean and Black African participants compared with white participants on the stroke register. High blood pressure was 29% more prevalent in Black Caribbean people and 47% more prevalent in Black African people. Notably, diabetes rates among Black African participants rose from 21% between 1995 and 2004 to 41% between 2015 and 2024, representing the steepest increase among all ethnic groups studied.
An additional concern identified in the study involves disparities in stroke presentation. Black African people were twice as likely to experience stroke without a prior diagnosis of risk factors, at a rate of 12% compared with 6% for white people. Dr. Eva Emmett, the study’s lead author, noted that these findings underscore the need for earlier and more targeted prevention efforts, particularly given that Black populations tend to experience stroke at younger ages than other groups.
The analysis also documented socioeconomic disparities in stroke risk factors. Diabetes prevalence was 23% higher among participants in manual occupations and 21% higher in those with lower education levels. Both diabetes and high blood pressure rates increased most substantially among those with lower socioeconomic status. Health officials have called for expanded cardiovascular screening and prevention programs tailored to higher-risk populations, with some experts suggesting that current NHS health checks beginning at age 40 may be initiated too late for the most vulnerable groups.
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