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Stroke is the third most common cause of death in the United States (after heart disease and cancer).

Every year, about 780,000 people in the United States have a stroke.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.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.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.³

This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved.