title: The impact of stroke.
abstract: The socio-economic impact of stroke is considerable world-wide. Stroke is assuming an increasing impact in terms of media attention, patient and career knowledge, service developments and research. It is estimated that there are 4.5 million deaths a year from stroke in the world and over 9 million stroke survivors. Almost one in four men and nearly one in five women aged 45 years can expect to have a stroke if they live to their 85th year. The overall incidence rate of stroke is around 2-2.5 per thousand population. The risk of recurrence over 5 years is 15-40%. It is estimated that by 2023 there will be an absolute increase in the number of patients experiencing a first ever stroke of about 30% compared with 1983. There is a total prevalence rate of around 5 per thousand population. One year after a stroke, 65% of survivors are functionally independent, stroke comprising the major cause of adult disability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health Sciences, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Hospitals School of Medicine, London, UK.
authors.forename: C D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Wolfe
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D015996:Survival Rate