Publication Name	World Journal of Neurology
Manuscript ID	114556
Country	China

Category	Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Manuscript Type	Editorial
Article Title	Confronting a twin epidemic: The urgent need to address inequities in comorbid diabetes and stroke mortality
Manuscript Source	Invited Manuscript
All Author List	Bin Jiang
Funding Agency and Grant Number
Corresponding Author	Bin Jiang, MD, Professor, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Neuroepidemiology, Beijing Neurosurgical Institute, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, No. 119 South Fourth Ring Road West, Fengtai District, Beijing 100070, China. bjyjiang@hotmail.com
Key Words	Health disparities; Diabetes mellitus; Non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus; Stroke; Mortality; Rural health; Healthcare inequities; Social determinants of health; Precision public health
Core Tip	Recent United States data indicate an alarming reversal in mortality trends from comorbid diabetes and stroke after 2014, ending a period of previous improvement. This rising mortality is not distributed equally; it exposes profound and worsening disparities across race, ethnicity, geography, and rurality. Systemic inequities in healthcare access, driven by factors like linguistic barriers, poverty, and inadequate rural infrastructure, are the root cause of these divergent outcomes. Addressing this crisis requires moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to implement targeted, culturally competent interventions and policies. Urgent investment in rural telehealth, expansion of Medicaid, and strategies that address the social determinants of health are essential to curb this twin epidemic.
Citation	Jiang B. Confronting a twin epidemic: The urgent need to address inequities in comorbid diabetes and stroke mortality. World J Neurol 2026; In press

Received	2025-09-23 05:43
Peer-Review Started	2025-09-23 05:44
First Decision by Editorial Office Director	2025-09-30 08:54
Return for Revision	2025-09-30 08:54
Revised	2025-11-27 13:23
Publication Fee Transferred
Second Decision by Editor	2026-01-08 02:35
Second Decision by Editor-in-Chief
Final Decision by Editorial Office Director	2026-01-09 02:31
Articles in Press	2026-01-09 02:31
Edit the Manuscript by Language Editor
Typeset the Manuscript

ISSN	2218-6212 (online)
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