Number Of People Having Strokes Falls By 43%

The number of people having strokes has fallen by nearly a half since 2000 but they are having them at a younger age, new research has found.

Prevention measures, such as people smoking and drinking less, have helped bring the rate down by 43%.

Medication, like statins, have also been attributed to the reduced numbers.

However, the researchers found people are having strokes at a younger age than before and that the rate has only marginally decreased for black people of all ages.

King's College London scientists analysed data looking at patients who had an ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a blood clot, between 2000 and 2015.

The study noticed a decrease in the average age at first stroke from 72.3 in 2000-2003, to 69.3 in 2012-2015.

They said the smaller decrease for black people may be due to higher levels of high blood pressure and diabetes seen in black patients, as these conditions can increase the risk of stroke.

Study author Dr Yanzhong Wang, from King's College London, said: "We hope these findings will help to plan future policy to prevent strokes in the population.

"In particular, more work is needed to identify individuals at risk early, and to work with them to introduce preventative measures early."

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability in the UK, with around 32,000 stroke-related deaths in England each year.

The condition occurs when blood supply to part of the brain is cut off.

Doctors advise the best way to help prevent a stroke is to eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and avoid smoking and drinking too much alcohol.

The study was published in PLOS Medicine and used data from the South London Stroke Register.

The South London Stroke Register has been collecting data on the number of strokes recorded among the 350,000 people in south London since 1995.


Source: news.sky.com