In an alarming study, researchers claimed that death from ischemic strokes expected to increase to nearly five million by 2030. The number of deaths worldwide from stroke increased from two million in 1990 to more than three million in 2019.
The study published in online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, focused on ischemic stroke. It is caused by a blockage of blood flow to the brain and is the most common type of stroke.
CONCERN
Study author LizeXiong, MD, of Tongji University in Shanghai, China said that predicted further increase in the future is concerning. However, the author said that it was highly preventable.
The researchers noted that the results showed a combination of lifestyle factors like smoking and a diet high in sodium. This comes along with other factors such as high blood pressure and high body mass index could lead to an increased risk of stroke.
THE STUDY
The researchers analyzed data from the Global Health Data Exchange from 1990-2019. As the world population grew, the global number of ischemic stroke deaths increased from 2.04 million in 1990 to 3.29 million in 2019. However, the stroke rate decreased from 66 strokes per 100,000 people in 1990 to 44 strokes per 100,000 people in 2019. Xiong said that the decrease in the rate likely meant that the overall increase in the number of strokes worldwide is mainly due to population growth and aging.
Researchers found that seven major risk factors including smoking, a diet high in sodium, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney dysfunction, high blood sugar, and high BMI contributed to the higher number of strokes.
Researchers then used the database to predict the number of deaths for 2020-2030.
THE RESULT
The study found that the death toll for ischemic stroke is expected to increase further to 4.9 million in 2030. They predicted overall number of deaths from stroke could reach 6.4 million if these risk factors are not controlled or prevented.
A limitation of the study was that quality and accuracy of disease data from some countries cannot be guaranteed as many did not have reliable information on strokes.
The Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, Chinese National Key Research and Development Program, and Nature Science Foundation of Shanghai supported the study.
