Immigration status and utilization of secondary preventive treatment after ischemic stroke

The objective of the study was to assess use and persistence of secondary preventive treatment after ischemic stroke comparing immigrants and Danish-born residents.

A cohort of patients discharged with ischemic stroke (IS) diagnosis (n = 106,224) by immigration status was identified from the Danish Stroke Registry between 2005 and 2018. We investigated use (claiming at least one prescription in 180 days post-discharge according to information from the Register of Medicinal Products Statistics) and persistence of treatment within 180 days thereafter using multivariable logistic regression and Fine and Gray models.

Overall, 82,078 Danish-born residents (80.6%) and 3589 (80.7%) immigrants with IS used at least one of the recommended preventive medications post-discharge. Immigrants had lower odds of use of anticoagulants and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARB) (odds ratio (OR), 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.53–0.82 and OR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.75–0.98, respectively) but had higher odds of use of beta-blockers (OR, 1.25; 95% CI, 1.02–1.53) than Danish-born residents after adjustment for age at stroke, sex, sociodemographic factors, duration of residence, stroke severity, and comorbidities. The odds were most evident among immigrants originating from non-Western countries. Persistence of medication use did not differ between immigrants and Danish-born residents after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and comorbidities.

Modest disparities in use of standard guideline recommended secondary preventive medications were observed when comparing immigrants and Danish-born residents with ischemic stroke. Furthermore, no differences in persistence of medication therapy were observed.