Stroke is an acute cerebrovascular disease that can lead to disability and death. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and stroke. SES was evaluated by two variables: poverty to income ratio (PIR) and education level. In this multi-subject study, we collected data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) database between 2009 and 2018, and finally 22,792 adults (≥20 years old) were included in the study. We proceeded with weighted multivariate logistic regression analysis as well as subgroup analysis. When analyzing the effect of PIR on stroke alone, the results showed that an increase in PIR levels was associated with a decrease in stroke incidence (OR = 0.764 95% CI: (0.711, 0.820), p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis presented a decline in stroke incidence in the highest quartile PIR group compared to the lowest quartile PIR group (OR = 0.296 95% CI: (0.214, 0.409), P＜0.001). Our results indicated that PIR is a protective factor for stroke, but there are exceptions in this relationship among different people. Hence, it is imperative that policymakers, healthcare providers, and clinicians take into account the inequality distribution of SES among adults while developing and executing stroke prevention and treatment strategies.

Erythritol is a widely used artificial sweetener, yet its long-term impact on cardiometabolic health remains debated. This study aimed to investigate the genetic associations of erythritol with cardiovascular disease (CVD), stroke, and diabetes using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) approach. We utilized single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with erythritol levels from genome-wide association studies (GWAS) as instrumental variables (IVs). The primary analysis employed the inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method. Robustness was assessed using multiple sensitivity analyses (including MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted multitude, and simple mode). Heterogeneity test, pleiotropy test, and sensitivity analysis were also conducted to further ensure the accuracy and stability of the research results. Erythritol showed positive associations with coronary heart disease (CHD) (OR = 1.0020, 95% CI: 1.0007–1.0034, P = 0.0034), myocardial infarction (MI) (OR = 1.0015, 95% CI: 1.0004–1.0026, P = 0.0090), and stroke (OR = 1.0463, 95% CI: 1.0010–1.0937, P = 0.0449) according to the IVW method. There was suggestive evidence of a positive association between erythritol and CHD, MI, and stroke. No significant causal association was observed between erythritol with heart failure (HF) and diabetes. This TSMR study provides genetic evidence suggesting erythritol is associated with an increased risk of CHD, MI, and stroke, but not with HF or diabetes. Our findings could further clarify the effect of erythritol on CVD, stroke and diabetes, and thus be more beneficial in reducing the risk of disease. Clinical trial number: not applicable.