Cleveland Clinic’s Minority Stroke Program is focused on preventing and treating stroke in racial and ethnic minorities.

Stroke rates and risk factors tend to be higher in minority populations. Consider the following facts:

  • Deaths from stroke are two times higher in Black Americans than in Americans overall.
  • Latinos tend to have strokes at a younger age than other ethnic groups do.
  • More than half of Black adults (56%) have high blood pressure, the top risk factor for stroke. That’s a higher rate than in white adults, Asian adults or Latino adults.
  • Nearly one-third of Latinos have diabetes, another major risk factor for stroke.

The Minority Stroke Program’s goal is to increase stroke awareness among minority groups in order to lower stroke rates and improve stroke outcomes.

Preventing Stroke

The Minority Stroke Program’s physicians and advanced practice providers can help you prevent a stroke by evaluating your stroke risk and helping you manage risk factors for stroke, including:

  • Diabetes.
  • Excess weight and obesity.
  • Heart disease.
  • High blood pressure (hypertension).
  • High cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • Peripheral vascular disease.
  • Physical inactivity.
  • Tobacco use.

Are you at risk for a stroke? Access your risk with our Stroke Risk Calculator.

Helping After a Stroke

The Minority Stroke Program team also helps individuals who have suffered a stroke in their recovery by addressing potential causes of the stroke and monitoring for health changes that could lead to another stroke.

Additional Services

The Minority Stroke Program team also provides:

  • Referrals to other medical providers who manage diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and vascular disease or who can help with weight loss, physical fitness and smoking cessation.
  • Information on transportation assistance for in-person appointments.
  • Follow-up visits through MyClevelandClinic virtual visit platform.
  • Online coaching and education through the MyClevelandClinic virtual visit platform.
  • Prescription assistance.
  • Stroke support groups.
  • Community education events.

The Minority Stroke Program is led by Gwendolyn Lynch, MD, and sees patients at Cleveland Clinic’s main campus.

To schedule an appointment with the Minority Stroke Program team, call 216.636.5860.