ADVERTISEMENT
Global Stroke Deaths Anticipated to Reach Nearly 5 Million by 2030
The number of deaths caused by ischemic stroke increased from 2 million in 1990 to over 3 million in 2019 and may reach as high as 5 million by 2030. Results from a systematic analysis were published online ahead of print in the journal Neurology.
“This increase in the global death toll of ischemic stroke along with a predicted further increase in the future is concerning, but ischemic stroke is highly preventable,” said study author Lize Xiong, MD, Tongji University, Shanghai, China. “Our results suggest that a combination of lifestyle factors like smoking and a diet high in sodium along with other factors such as high blood pressure and high body mass index can lead to an increased risk of stroke.”
To complete “the first systematic and comprehensive description of the disease burden of ischemic stroke worldwide,” researchers utilized data from the Global Health Data Exchange from 1990-2019. They used age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) and disability-adjusted life year (ASDR) to systematically chart the geographic distribution and trends of stroke disease around the world by calculating the estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) as well as analyze and predict the number of deaths caused by ischemic stroke from 2020-2023.
>>QUIZ: How much does depression increase stroke risk?
Overall, as the population has grown, the number of ischemic stroke deaths increased from 2.04 million in 1990 to 3.29 million in 2019. Significantly, though, the stroke rate decreased from 66 strokes per 100,000 people in 1990 to 44 strokes per 100,000 people in 2019.
Researchers highlighted 7 major risk factors for stroke death, including smoking, a high-sodium diet, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney dysfunction, high blood sugar, and high BMI, which, if not controlled or prevented, could drive the number of stroke deaths as high as 6.4 million by 2030.
“Our findings have implications for the allocation of care resources, health care planning, and the development and implementation of primary prevention interventions for stroke that require support from data, primarily including the reduction of metabolic risk factors and behavioral risk,” the authors noted in the study discussion.
“In addition, at the national level, the reduction of poverty and racial and socio-economic inequalities through appropriate measures, such as legislation and taxation, will be important to reduce cardiovascular disease, as well as other non-communicable diseases.”
References
