Stroke mortality has been falling rapidly in this country since 1973. To investigate age-race-sex effects on stroke mortality, we studied US vital statistics during 1950-1972 and 1973-1981 in 55-64-, 65-74-, and 75-84-year-old race-sex groups. The accelerated rate of decline in stroke mortality since 1973 has had a substantial public health impact, with greater than 200,000 fewer stroke deaths ...