Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project

Co-Principal Investigator

Lewis Morgenstern

Funding Sources

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS AND STROKE (NINDS)

About this Project

The Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) Project is an ongoing stroke surveillance project focusing on Mexican Americans. Mexican Americans are the largest segment of the Hispanic American population, the United States' largest minority group. Since the inception of this project in January 2000, we have assembled a cohort of over 4,992 cerebrovascular disease patients who are being followed for recurrent cerebrovascular events as well as mortality. This study is able to detect associations with biological and social risk factors for stroke, important to Mexican Americans as well as the broader United States population. We have demonstrated increased stroke incidence and recurrence in Mexican Americans. Stroke severity and ischemic stroke subtypes are similar between Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. Mortality following stroke appears to be less in Mexican Americans. In the next five years we are positioned to delineate trends in stroke rates, and to explore the potential reasons for the increased stroke burden in Mexican Americans, as well as their improved survival. This information will be critically important to all populations to reduce the devastation of stroke. This study makes observations which are important for planning delivery of stroke care in communities. For the first time we will investigate functional and cognitive outcome following stroke in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic whites. This study also considers the role of health care quality and medication compliance on stroke outcomes.