Air pollution, high temperatures, and metabolic risk factors are driving global increases in stroke, with latest figures estimating 12 million cases and over 7 million deaths, worldwide, from stroke each year
Between 1990 and 2021, the number of people globally who had a new stroke increased by 70%, and deaths from stroke rose by 44%. Stroke-related health loss, up by 32%, has risen substantially worldwide, according to a study in The Lancet Neurology.
However, the study also found significant disparities in stroke incidence, with the lowest in Luxembourg (58 per 100,000 population), the highest in the Solomon Islands (355 per 100,000). There were 96,000 new strokes in the UK between 1990 and 2021.
Stroke is highly preventable, with 84% of the stroke burden in 2021 attributable to 23 modifiable risk factors, including air pollution, excess body weight, high blood pressure, smoking, and physical inactivity—presenting a public health challenge and an opportunity for action.
The contribution of high temperatures to poor health and early death due to stroke has risen 72% since 1990, a trend likely to increase in the future—underscoring the impact of environmental factors on the growing stroke burden.
For the first time, the study reveals the high contribution (on a par with smoking) of particulate matter air pollution to subarachnoid haemorrhage.
Effective, accessible, and affordable measures to improve stroke surveillance, prevention (with the emphasis on managing blood pressure, lifestyle, and environmental factors), acute care, and rehabilitation need to be implemented to reduce the stroke burden.
Global Burden of Disease Stroke Risk Factor Collaborators. Lancet Neurol 2024;23:973-1003
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(24)00369-7/fulltext
