Obstructive sleep apnea in Mexican-Americans with a previous history of stroke can increase the risk of another stroke and death.

‘Mexican-American ethnicity with a previous history of stroke was associated with a 1.7-fold increased risk of recurrent stroke or death.’

The project enrolled 842 people (median age 65, 47 percent female, 58 percent Mexican American, 34 percent non-Hispanic white) who had an ischemic stroke caused by decreased blood supply between 2010-2015. 




Using portable sleep apnea-monitoring devices, they found participants had a median of 14 pauses (full or partial) in breathing per hour during sleep, with 63 percent identified with sleep apnea (10 or more breathing pauses/hour).
During follow-up (median time to event 584 days) scientists found:
- 10.7 percent experienced another stroke and 14.8 percent died.
- Each additional pause in breathing per hour was associated with a 9 percent increase in recurrent stroke or death.
- After adjusting for known risk factors, Mexican-American ethnicity was associated with a 1.7-fold increased risk of recurrent stroke or death.
Source-Eurekalert