Impact of Birth Place and Geographic Location on Risk Disparities in Cerebrovascular Disease: Implications for Future Research

The geographic disparities in stroke and cerebrovascular disease have long been recognized with high-risk areas, such as the states in the Southeast with the greatest risk and identified as the Stroke Belt.¹ These epidemiologic observations have facilitated the identification of risk factors associated with the excess disease burden as well as the benefits of interventions focused on disease control.² The geographic disparities in stroke risks prompted specific investigations and conferences to determine the factors associated with the excess risk burden for specific geographic areas, such as the southeastern United States, compared with the rest of the nation.³