Insufficient action on stroke prevention set to cause cases to go up by 51% by 2035
The Stroke Association's calling on the government to help.
New analysis by the Stroke Association finds that the number of new strokes will increase by 51% from 100,000 to 151,000 by 2035, costing over £75 billion – roughly half the current NHS budget.
The Stroke Association is calling for better approaches to prevention, treatment and recovery from stroke, to be included in parties’ manifestos for the upcoming General Election to reduce the burden of stroke on people’s lives, the NHS and the economy.
Their Assocate Director for the Midlands, Sarah Adderley says, it's important we take action now.
"Stroke is the fourth largest killer in the UK. But it doesn't get the priority that it needs. It impacts so many people's lives, there are 1.3 million people affected by stroke living in the UK right now.
"The impact will be huge. The cost of stroke is around £43 billion to the UK economy. If our predictions are correct and we see that increase in stroke, by 2035 that cost will be £75 billion so it's really vital that the government invests in it now to reduce that impact by 2035."
A combination of ageing population, lifestyle factors and insufficient action on stroke prevention is set to increase the number of strokes by 51% by 2035. In turn, the stroke survivor population will increase by 62% from 1.3 million to 2.1 million.
Currently, one in four strokes happen to people of working age. 37% of working age stroke survivors give up work following their stroke meaning that by 2035, there will be over 173,000 stroke survivors missing from the workforce.
The current loss of productivity due to stroke is £1.6 billion, which is set to increase by 136% by 2035.