A recent study published in The Lancet Neurology reveals that stroke was the third most common cause of death globally in 2021, following ischemic heart disease and COVID-19. This comprehensive research highlights the significant burden stroke continues to place on global health, underscoring a need for more effective prevention strategies.
Led by Dr. Valery L. Feigin from Auckland University of Technology in New Zealand, the study evaluated stroke's global impact, analyzing data from 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2021. The findings paint a grim picture, with stroke accounting for 7.3 million deaths in 2021, or 10.7 percent of all global fatalities. In terms of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), stroke ranked fourth, contributing to 160.5 million DALYs, or 5.6 percent of the global total.
The researchers also found that the global stroke burden continues to grow, with 93.8 million people living with the condition and 11.9 million new cases reported in 2021. Despite some regions experiencing stagnation in the reduction of stroke incidence since 2015, certain areas and subpopulations saw increases in stroke-related deaths, incidence, and DALY rates.
Dr. Feigin and his team identified several risk factors contributing to stroke, such as high body mass index, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar levels, poor diet, low physical activity, and exposure to lead. The study particularly highlighted the rise in DALYs linked to high consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages and low intake of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
"Our study findings continue to point out that currently used stroke prevention strategies are not sufficiently effective to halt, let alone reduce, the fast-growing stroke burden," the authors wrote, emphasizing the need for improved public health initiatives and lifestyle modifications to combat the global stroke .
