Campaigners raise alarm over Scotland’s high stroke numbers

Responding to the latest annual Scottish Stroke Figures, the Stroke Association has expressed concern that people in Scotland are much more likely to have a stroke than those in the rest of the UK.

The latest data from Public Health Scotland suggests that the incidence rate for stroke (adjusted for age and sex) has decreased by just 2.4% since 2012/13.

John Watson, Associate Director for the Stroke Association, said:

“Stroke rates in Scotland are a third higher than for the UK as a whole. We need to see much faster progress if we are to reduce the devastating personal cost of stroke and bring Scotland more in line with its neighbours.

“Worryingly, this report shows that stroke incidence amongst men has actually increased slightly. And those in the most deprived areas are almost twice as likely to be discharged from hospital with a stroke, a gap that has widened in the last year.

“However, there is good news in the report too. Stroke mortality rates continue to decline, indicating that the standard of care and treatment provided by Scotland’s stroke community is helping deliver better outcomes for stroke patients. But even here, there is still much to do.

“We need to see concerted action to address Scotland’s unacceptably high stroke numbers. The Stroke Association is urging greater awareness of and action on atrial fibrillation, a form of irregular heartbeat that greatly increases stroke risk. Tens of thousands of people in Scotland are unaware that they have this condition so we urge everyone to check their pulse at home. If it doesn’t feel regular, then go and speak to your GP practice and they can advise on the range of treatments that can dramatically reduce stroke risk.”

The report can be found here:

https://publichealthscotland.scot/media/17341/2023-01-24-stroke-report.pdf