Every year, about 780,000 people in the United States have a stroke.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Heart Association.
Heart disease and stroke statistics: 2007 update.
Circulation. 2007; 115: 69-171. Also available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.179918 (accessed on 13 August 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

No-one can say what someone's personal risk of dying after a stroke will be. On average, about one-third of the people who have a stroke will die within a year.

Certain types of stroke are more serious than others. Having a stroke because there is bleeding into your brain (a hemorrhagic stroke) is generally more serious than having a stroke because you have a blocked blood vessel (an ischemic stroke).

More than 3 in 10 people who have a stroke that causes bleeding into the brain die within 30 days, compared with about 1 in 10 of those who have a stroke because of a blocked artery.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Heart Association.
Heart disease and stroke statistics: 2007 update.
Circulation. 2007; 115: 69-171. Also available at http://circ.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/full/CIRCULATIONAHA.106.179918 (accessed on 13 August 2008).

 

 

 

 

 

¹

In the United States, the number of people having a stroke started to fall in the 1960s and 1970s, mainly because people were following advice to quit smoking, to eat better and to exercise regularly.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
American Heart Association.
Strokes and "mini-strokes" on the rise.
Meeting report, 14th January 2002.

 

 

 

 

 

² But in the past 15 years, the number of people having a stroke has stayed the same. This may have something to do with the fact that people are living longer, since the older you get the more likely you are to have a stroke.

The number of people who have a stroke in the United States is fairly similar to the number in other industrialized countries. However, some countries have higher rates than others. For example, the number of people in Eastern Europe who have a stroke is much higher than the number in Western Europe. This may have something to do with people having different lifestyles and in particular, different diets.

 

 

 

 

 

Source:
Kromhout D.
Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in Europe.
Public Health Nutrition. 2001; 4: 441-457.

 

 

 

 

 

³

The information on ConsumerReportsHealth.org should not be viewed as a substitute for a consultation with a medical or health professional. The information is meant to enhance communication with your doctor, not replace it. Consumers Union can not be liable for any loss, injury, or other damages related to your use of this information.

Your use of this information is subject to our User Agreement available at www.ConsumerReportsHealth.org.