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Stroke Basic Facts
Incidence
 | Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States today. It is the leading cause of death in Japan. |
| | On average, someone in the United States suffers a stroke every 53 seconds; every 3.3 minutes someone dies of one. |
| | The incidence of new or recurrent strokes is estimated to be about 600,000 cases each year. Approximately 500,000 are first attacks and 100,000 are recurrent attacks. |
| | From 1988 to 1998 stroke death rate fell 15.1%, but the actual number of stroke deaths rose 5.3%. |
Demographics
| | About two-thirds of all strokes occur in people age 65 or older. |
| | Fourteen percent of persons who survive a first stroke or TIA will experience a recurrence within 1 year. |
| | Of initial stroke sufferers, 22% of men and 25% of women will die within 1 year |
| | Overall, the morbidity of stroke (incidence and prevalance) is about equal for men and women. However, more than half the deaths resulting from stroke occur in women. |
| | Twice as many women died from stroke as from breast cancer in 1995. |
Impact
| | Stroke can take years to develop but occurs in only seconds, usually with catastrophic results. |
| | The estimated cost in health care and lost productivity in the United States is about $30 billion annually. |
| | Stroke is the leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States. |
| | Of the 4.4 million stroke survivors today, over 75% are severely disabled. |
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