Rise in number of middle aged people having strokes - Stroke Association comments

While the majority (59%) of strokes occur in the older generation, Public Health England figures show that over a third (38%) of first time strokes happen in middle aged adults. 

Public Health England launches the Act F.A.S.T. stroke campaign, which urges the public to call 999 if they notice even one of the signs of a stroke in themselves, or in others:

Face – has their face fallen on one side? Can they smile?

Arms – can they raise both their arms and keep them there?

Speech – is their speech slurred?

Time – time to call 999.

Commenting on the campaign, Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive of the Stroke Association, said: "Stroke is the killer condition that has been ignored for too long in the UK. These latest figures suggest that stroke is increasingly occurring in people at a younger age. This urgently needs to change.

“As the UK’s leading stroke charity, we have said it time and again; stroke devastates lives in an instant, leaving people facing a lifetime of disability. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The faster you seek and receive emergency specialist treatment for stroke, the better your chances of making a good recovery. Knowing the signs of stroke and being able to Act FAST could save a life – your life.”