Are strokes random? Study shows they are 90 percent preventable

A new global study published in the Lancet has identified 10 potentially modifiable risk factors that account for 90 percent of strokes, meaning that nine out of 10 incidents are preventable. The study also found that hypertension (high blood pressure) is the number one treatable cause of strokes.

Analyzing data from nearly 27,000 people from around the world through INTERSTROKE, the researchers attempted to find the main causes of strokes within a diverse population. INTERSTROKE is a huge, standardized global, case-control study that examines the role of risk factors for stroke.

Professor Peter Langhorne, from the University of Glasgow’s Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Science and co-author of the study, said that, “The exciting findings of this study are the confirmation that stroke is a highly preventable disease.” He said that the study provides crucial information for preventing strokes according to the differing needs of various regions of the world.

The 10 potentially modifiable factors identified in the study include blood pressure, physical activity, diet, lipids, obesity, smoking, psychosocial factors, cardiac causes, diabetes mellitus and alcohol consumption. Some variation in the importance of the risk factors were found among different regions of the world.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of disability and death, especially in low- and middle-income countries. There are two major types of stroke: ischaemic stroke, which is caused by blood clots, causes 85 percent of strokes; haemorrhagic stroke, which is bleeding in the brain, accounts for 15 percent. Although preventing strokes is a major public health priority, a clear understanding of the key preventable causes is necessary.