The article examines the differences in premature stroke mortality in terms of between-county disparity in the US.
![Sidney C. Smith Jr., MD](https://news.unchealthcare.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/1159/2020/06/dr-sidney-smith-receives-lifetime-achievement-award-from-world-heart-federation-image2-216x300.jpeg)
Sidney C. Smith Jr., MD, a professor in the division of cardiology in the Department of Medicine, is a co-author of an article published May 12 in JAMA Network Open.
The article, “Evaluation of Between-County Disparities in Premature Mortality Due to Stroke in the US,” examines the differences in premature stroke mortality in terms of between-county disparity in the US, for deaths that occurred out of the stroke unit, county-level mortality was largely associated with demographic composition (31.6%) and health care and environmental features (25.8%). For in-hospital death, 29.8% of county-level mortality was associated with population health and 28.7% was associated with demographic composition.
These findings suggest the need to tailor strategies to address premature stroke in the county-level context before implementing interventions for the neediest counties.