Sergio Calleja-Puerta, Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, Oviedo, España
Stroke is the leading cause of acquired brain injury in adults and one of the diseases that generates the highest rates of mortality and disability worldwide. Socioeconomic determinants play a major role at every stage of the disease: they increase the likelihood of its occurrence, hinder access to acute-phase treatments, worsen prognosis, and complicate rehabilitation and social reintegration for survivors. Beyond the barriers patients face in accessing healthcare or social services (barriers that are more or less mitigated depending on each country’s healthcare system), a “biology of adversity” has been described, linking socioeconomic factors with vascular disease. Political measures are needed to reduce inequalities, improve the quality of healthcare and social support, and thereby promote health equity for all citizens.
Keywords: Socioeconomic determinants of health. Stroke. Cerebrovascular disease. Vascular disease. Equity. Rehabilitation. Health and social care coordination.
