Background Regularly updated data on stroke and its pathological types, including data on their incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability, risk factors, and epidemiological trends, are important for evidence-based stroke care planning and resource allocation. The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) aims to provide a standardised and comprehensive measurement of these metrics at global, regional, and national levels. MethodsWe applied GBD 2019 analytical tools to calculate stroke incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs), and the population attributable fraction (PAF) of DALYs (with corresponding 95% uncertainty intervals [UIs]) associated with 19 risk factors, for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2019. These estimates were provided for ischaemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, subarachnoid haemorrhage, and all strokes combined, and stratified by sex, age group, and World Bank country income level. FindingsIn 2019, there were 12•2 million (95% UI 11•0-13•6) incident cases of stroke, 101 million (93•2-111) prevalent cases of stroke, 143 million (133-153) DALYs due to stroke, and 6•55 million (6•00-7•02) deaths from stroke. Globally, stroke remained the second-leading cause of death (11•6% [10•8-12•2] of total deaths) and the third-leading cause of death and disability combined (5•7% [5•1-6•2] of total DALYs) in 2019. From 1990 to 2019, the absolute number of incident strokes increased by 70•0% (67•0-73•0), prevalent strokes increased by 85•0% (83•0-88•0), deaths from stroke increased by 43•0% (31•0-55•0), and DALYs due to stroke increased by 32•0% (22•0-42•0). During the same period, age-standardised rates of stroke incidence decreased by 17•0% (15•0-18•0), mortality decreased by 36•0% (31•0-42•0), prevalence decreased by 6•0% (5•0-7•0), and DALYs decreased by 36•0% (31•0-42•0). However, among people younger than 70 years, prevalence rates increased by 22•0% (21•0-24•0) and incidence rates increased by 15•0% (12•0-18•0). In 2019, the age-standardised stroke-related mortality rate was 3•6 (3•5-3•8) times higher in the World Bank low-income group than in the World Bank high-income group, and the age-standardised stroke-related DALY rate was 3•7 (3•5-3•9) times higher in the low-income group than the high-income group. Ischaemic stroke constituted 62•4% of all incident strokes in 2019 (7•63 million [6•57-8•96]), while intracerebral haemorrhage constituted 27•9% (3•41 million [2•97-3•91]) and subarachnoid haemorrhage constituted 9•7% (1•18 million [1•01-1•39]). In 2019, the five leading risk factors for stroke were high systolic blood pressure (contributing to 79•6 million [67•7-90•8] DALYs or 55•5% [48•2-62•0] of total stroke DALYs), high bodymass index (34•9 million [22•3-48•6] DALYs or 24•3% [15•7-33•2]), high fasting plasma glucose (28•9 million [19•8-41•5] DALYs or 20•2% [13•8-29•1]), ambient particulate matter pollution (28•7 million [23•4-33•4] DALYs or 20•1% [16•6-23•0]), and smoking (25•3 million [22•6-28•2] DALYs or 17•6% [16•4-19•0]...

Background and purpose: Prediction of stroke impact provides essential information for healthcare planning and priority setting. We aim to estimate 30-year projections of stroke epidemiology in the European Union using multiple modeling approaches. Methods: Data on stroke incidence, prevalence, deaths, and disability-adjusted life years in the European Union between 1990 and 2017 were obtained from the global burden of disease study. Their trends over time were modeled using 3 modeling strategies: linear, Poisson, and exponential regressions―adjusted for the gross domestic product per capita, which reflects the impact of economic development on health status. We used the Akaike information criterion for model selection. The 30-year projections up to 2047 were estimated using the best fitting models, with inputs on population projections from the United Nations and gross domestic product per capita prospects from the World Bank. The technique was applied separately by age-sex-country groups for each stroke measure. Results: In 2017, there were 1.12 million incident strokes in the European Union, 9.53 million stroke survivors, 0.46 million deaths, and 7.06 million disability-adjusted life years lost because of stroke. By 2047, we estimated an additional 40 000 incident strokes (+3%) and 2.58 million prevalent cases (+27%). Conversely, 80 000 fewer deaths (–17%) and 2.31 million fewer disability-adjusted life years lost (–33%) are projected. The largest increase in the age-adjusted incidence and prevalence rates are expected in Lithuania (average annual percentage change, 0.48% and 0.7% respectively), and the greatest reductions in Portugal (–1.57% and –1.3%). Average annual percentage change in mortality rates will range from −2.86% (Estonia) to −0.08% (Lithuania), and disability-adjusted life years’ from −2.77% (Estonia) to −0.23% (Romania). Conclusions: The number of people living with stroke is estimated to increase by 27% between 2017 and 2047 in the European Union, mainly because of population ageing and improved survival rates. Variations are expected to persist between countries showing opportunities for improvements in prevention and case management particularly in Eastern Europe.

BackgroundAs the average life expectancy increases, more people are predicted to have strokes. Recent studies have shown an increasing incidence in certain types of cerebral infarction. We aimed to estimate time trends in incidence, prior risk factors, and use of preventive treatments for ischaemic stroke (IS) aetiological subtypes and to ascertain any demographic disparities.Methods and findingsPopulation-based data from the South London Stroke Register (SLSR) between 2000 and 2015 were studied. IS was classified, based on the underlying mechanism, into large-artery atherosclerosis (LAA), cardio-embolism (CE), small-vessel occlusion (SVO), other determined aetiologies (OTH), and undetermined aetiologies (UND). After calculation of age-, sex-, and ethnicity-specific incidence rates by subtype for the 16-year period, we analysed trends using Cochran-Armitage tests, Poisson regression models, and locally estimated scatterplot smoothers (loess). A total of 3,088 patients with first IS were registered. Between 2000–2003 and 2012–2015, the age-adjusted incidence of IS decreased by 43% from 137.3 to 78.4/100,000/year (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 0.57, 95% CI 0.5–0.64). Significant declines were observed in all subtypes, particularly in SVO (37.4–18; p < 0.0001) and less in CE (39.3–25; p < 0.0001). Reductions were recorded in males and females, younger (<55 years old) and older (≥55 years old) individuals, and white and black ethnic groups, though not significantly in the latter (144.6–116.2; p = 0.31 for IS). A 4-fold increase in prior-to-stroke use of statins was found (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 4.39, 95% CI 3.29–5.86), and despite the increasing prevalence of hypertension (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.21–1.96) and atrial fibrillation (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.22–2.36), preventive use of antihypertensive and antiplatelet drugs was declining. A smaller number of participants in certain subgroup-specific analyses (e.g., black ethnicity and LAA subtype) could have limited the power to identify significant trends.ConclusionsThe incidence of ISs has been declining since 2000 in all age groups but to a lesser extent in the black population. The reported changes in medication use are unlikely to fully explain the reduction in stroke incidence; however, innovative prevention strategies and better management of risk factors may contribute further reduction.