Stroke Epidemiology

Abstract

Stroke is a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Stroke may be broken into ischemic and hemorrhagic subtypes, with the former occurring at a rate four to six times that of hemorrhagic strokes. Intracerebral hemorrhage includes both non-traumatic intraparenchymal hemorrhage and subarachnoid hemorrhage resulting from cerebral aneurysms and other vascular disorders. Stroke types share many common causes, the majority of which are modifiable and form the rationale for primary and secondary stroke prevention. Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, smoking, and physical inactivity pose the greatest risks for stroke. Among non-modifiable risk, race, age, gender, and genetic disorders frequently impact the rate of stroke. Public awareness of signs, symptoms, and causes of stroke is improving but still remains as substantial barriers to improved population health.