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Stroke Facts
Every five minutes someone, somewhere in England and Wales will have a stroke. Stroke is the UK's largest cause of severe disability. There are over 300,000 people affected by stroke at any one time.
Stroke is often thought of as a condition affecting older people. The truth is that anyone can suffer a stroke - men and women from any background, even children.
The impact of a stroke on the lives of those it touches is quite literally life shattering.
The Stroke Association aims to reduce the effect of stroke on patients, their families, carers and the community by:
- developing and providing services
- supporting research
- spreading knowledge, especially in relation to prevention
- improving standards of care through training and education
- constantly urging Government and other authorities to do more in the field of stroke
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Stroke Facts
- Each year over 100,000 people in England and Wales have a first stroke.
- About 10,000 of these are under retirement age
- There are close to 60,000 deaths due to stroke each year
- Stroke is the third most common cause of death in England and Wales, after heart disease and cancer.
- Stroke accounts for over 8 per cent of all deaths in men and 13 percent of deaths in women in England
- Stroke is the largest single cause of severe disability in England and Wales, 300,000 people being affected at any one time.
- The cost of stroke to the nation in terms of health and social care is estimated to be over £2.3 billion (1995/96 figures)
- The total cost of stroke care is expected to rise in real terms by around 30 percent by the year 2023.
What is a stroke?
A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is disrupted. Most strokes occur when a blood clot blocks an artery which is carrying blood to the brain. Some strokes are caused by bleeding within or around the brain from a burst blood vessel. When the blood supply is disrupted, the brain cells are deprived of oxygen and other nutrients, causing some cells to become damaged and others to die.
The effects of stroke
Some strokes are fatal while others cause permanent or temporary disabilities. Around a third of people who have had a stroke die within a year, a third are left with serious disabilities and the remainder make a good recovery.
Who is at risk?
Stroke can affect anyone at any age, although some people are at higher risk than others, including those:
- With hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Who have had transient ischaemic attacks (mini-strokes)
- Who have had heart attacks
- Who suffer from atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), angina or atrial fibrillation (abnormal heart beats)
- Who have diabetes
- Who are of African-Caribbean descent or from the South Asia continent
- Who have a close relative who died from stroke
- Who smoke, are physically inactive, who drink excessively or go on drinking binges.
Reducing the risk
It's estimated that about 40 per cent of strokes could be prevented by:
- Regular blood pressure checks
- Treatment for hypertension
- Taking steps to improve overall health
- Giving up smoking
- Losing any excess weight
- Getting regular physical exercise
- Keeping alcohol intake to within recommended limits
- Eating more fruit and vegetables
- Eating less salt and fatty foods
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