What is the significance of World Stroke Day?

World Stroke Day: Global Significance and Impact

World Stroke Day is a critical global health awareness day dedicated to highlighting stroke as a major public health issue that causes significant mortality, morbidity, and disability worldwide.

Global Burden of Stroke

• Stroke remains the second-leading cause of death worldwide and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined 1, 2
• Approximately 12.2 million new stroke cases occur annually, with 101 million people living with the effects of stroke globally 3
• Stroke causes 6.55 million deaths annually - approximately one death every 3-4 minutes 4, 5
• The global economic burden of stroke exceeds US$721 billion (0.66% of global GDP) 1

Alarming Trends and Distribution

• From 1990 to 2019, there has been a 70% increase in incident strokes, 85% increase in prevalent strokes, and 43% increase in deaths from stroke 3
• More than 85% of all strokes occur in low- and middle-income countries 4, 1
• The three nations with the greatest numbers of stroke deaths are China, India, and the Russian Federation 4
• The burden is disproportionately higher in low-income countries, where stroke-related mortality rates are 3.6 times higher than in high-income countries 3

Impact on Disability

• Among the 15 million people who suffer strokes annually worldwide, 5 million are left permanently disabled 4
• The global burden of stroke measured in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is projected to grow from 38 million in 1990 to 61 million in 2020 4
• Stroke causes significant physical impairments, including motor weakness, sensory disturbances, speech and swallowing difficulties, vision problems, cognitive challenges, and emotional difficulties 4
• The relative stroke burden is estimated at 74% of coronary heart disease in terms of disability impact 4

Risk Factors and Prevention Focus

• The five leading risk factors for stroke are high systolic blood pressure (contributing to 55.5% of stroke DALYs), high body-mass index (24.3%), high fasting plasma glucose (20.2%), ambient particulate matter pollution (20.1%), and smoking (17.6%) 3
• Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for stroke, with particularly strong associations with hemorrhagic stroke 6
• The fastest-growing risk factor between 1990 and 2019 was high body-mass index 3
• World Stroke Day emphasizes the importance of public education about stroke signs and the need to seek emergency care 4

Significance of World Stroke Day for Healthcare Systems

• World Stroke Day highlights the need for organized stroke care systems, from prevention through rehabilitation 7
• The day promotes awareness of the importance of rapid diagnosis and treatment, as time-sensitive interventions like thrombolysis can significantly improve outcomes 5
• It emphasizes the need for telemedicine solutions to increase access to stroke expertise in underserved and rural areas 4
• World Stroke Day advocates for the implementation of evidence-based stroke prevention, management, and recovery approaches globally 7

Regional Disparities and Special Populations

• In the Asia-Pacific region, stroke risk due to hypertension is a particularly serious problem 2
• The Western Pacific region accounts for 39% of cerebrovascular deaths, followed by Europe (29%) and South East Asia (21%) 2
• In rural areas, cultural factors may play a role in obstructing prompt medical care, with some patients seeking traditional healers before western medicine 4
• American Indians and Alaskan Natives face particular challenges in accessing acute stroke services due to geographically remote regions 4

Call to Action

• World Stroke Day serves as a platform for advocating urgent implementation of effective primary prevention strategies to reduce the growing stroke burden 3
• The day promotes the World Stroke Organization's goal of establishing stroke units and comprehensive stroke centers worldwide 7
• It emphasizes the importance of public education about stroke signs and symptoms to reduce pre-hospital delays 4
• World Stroke Day highlights the need for communities and institutions to set goals to continuously expand their stroke service capabilities 7