Primary prophylactic aspirin use and incident stroke: reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke study.

Background: Studies have shown that aspirin used for secondary prevention significantly reduces cardiovascular and stroke risk. The data for aspirin and primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, and in particular stroke, are less clear, especially among blacks.

Objective: To evaluate prophylactic aspirin use and incident stroke in a large cohort of black and white participants.

Racial and geographic differences in prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of dyslipidemia: the reasons for geographic and racial differences in stroke (REGARDS) study.

Background/aims: There are racial and geographic disparities in stroke mortality, with higher rates among African Americans (AAs) and those living in the southeastern US ('stroke belt'). Racial and geographic differences in dyslipidemia prevalence, awareness, treatment and control may, in part, account for the observed disparities in stroke mortality.

Methods: Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) is a national observational study of community-dwelling black and white participants aged 45 and older, with oversampling from the stroke belt.

Obtaining medical records from healthcare facilities under the HIPAA Privacy Rule: the experience of a national longitudinal cohort study.

The processes for acquiring medical records from healthcare facilities in longitudinal cohort studies have not been well examined post-HIPAA Privacy Rule. We examined the response rates, correlates of response rates, and response times for obtaining patient medical records from healthcare facilities under the HIPAA Privacy Rule. Medical records were requested from facilities across the country on adults 45 or older enrolled in the national longitudinal cohort study REGARDS (Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) who reported physician encounters for potential stroke events.