LAUSR

Key Points Question Is socioeconomic status (SES) independently associated with infarct size, clinical severity, and long-term functional outcomes in patients with ischemic stroke? Findings In this single-center cohort study of 1098 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke, initial stroke severity was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and clinical indexes. Socioeconomic status (measured as median neighborhood income and area deprivation index) was independently associated with imaging and clinical measures of initial stroke severity, which in turn accounted for 64% of the association between SES and long-term functional outcome. Meaning These findings suggest that individuals with lower SES have worse long-term functional outcomes, primarily because lower SES is associated with larger infarcts and more clinically severe strokes on presentation, even after adjusting for differences in risk factors and therapies.