Warning of stroke explosion in next decade: Analysis predicts 50% increase in fatal events during UK obesity crisis
The number of people suffering a stroke is expected to increase by more than half in the next decade.
Lifestyle factors combined with an aging population and insufficient action on stroke prevention will see the number of cases rise from 100,000 to 150,000 by 2035, according to analysis by the Stroke Association.
They estimate that the associated costs – both in terms of healthcare and lost productivity – will be more than £75 billion, almost half the current NHS budget.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted by a clot in an artery or a hemorrhage, causing the brain to begin to die.
The risk increases with age, but medical conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes – often caused by obesity – can increase the risk.
According to analysis by the Stroke Association, insufficient action on stroke prevention will lead to a rise in the number of cases from 100,000 to 150,000 by 2035.
In addition to the increase in new strokes, experts predict that the number of stroke survivors will increase by 62 percent, from 1.3 million to 2.1 million, the equivalent of the population of Slovenia.
Last year, only four in 10 stroke patients were admitted to specialist stroke care units within the four-hour target, down from 55 per cent before the pandemic.
This is despite the fact that the majority of stroke survivors have disabilities such as problems walking, writing or speaking.
It happens to one in four people of working age, with more than a third (37%) giving up work after a stroke.
This means that by 2035, more than 173,000 stroke survivors will be missing from the workforce.
The current productivity loss due to stroke is £1.6 billion, which will increase by 136 percent over the next ten years.
The charity is calling for better approaches to stroke prevention, treatment and recovery to be included in party manifestos to reduce the burden on people’s lives, the NHS and the economy.
Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association, said demand for NHS services will be unsustainable by 2035.
She said: ‘Every stroke is a tragedy, but 151,000 strokes a year, and growing every year, will be a failure of leadership.
‘In 2000, stroke was the second leading cause of death in Britain, but by making stroke a national priority, reflected in local resources, stroke deaths were halved in 2010. So change is possible.’
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: ‘We want to improve stroke prevention, treatment and recovery for everyone.
‘More than 90 percent of acute stroke providers in England are equipped with artificial intelligence, which could reduce the time needed to access a treatment such as thrombectomy by more than 60 minutes.
‘The first ever Long Term Workforce Plan will help shift more care to the community and invest more in prevention and early intervention, and we’re introducing a new digital NHS Health Check that could prevent hundreds more strokes.
‘We are also taking action to encourage better lifestyle choices, including creating a smoke-free generation and reducing salt intake through food to help prevent the risk of stroke.’