Ethnic differences in mortality from cerebrovascular disease among New Mexico's Hispanics, Native Americans, and non-Hispanic whites, 1958 through 1987.

We analyzed vital statistics data collected from 1958 through 1987 to determine time trends and ethnic differences in cerebrovascular disease mortality rates in New Mexico's Hispanic, Native American, and non-Hispanic white populations. Over the 30-year period of our study, cerebrovascular disease mortality rates decreased in all three major ethnic groups in the state, comparable to national trends. We found that Native Americans of both sexes had the lowest cerebrovascular disease mortality rates, followed by Hispanics, during the initial 25-year span of our data. In the most recent 5-year period that we examined, 1983 through 1987, Hispanics had the highest cerebrovascular disease mortality rates of the three groups. Our data suggest that Hispanics in New Mexico are now at higher risk for cerebrovascular disease-related mortality than are non-Hispanic whites, and that prevention strategies aimed at decreasing cerebrovascular disease rates should be focused on this segment of the state's population.