Top Ten Facts About Stroke

REFERENCE: https://strokefoundation.org.au/

1. Stroke is one of Australia’s biggest killers and a leading cause of disability.[1]
2. Stroke kills more women than breast cancer and more men than prostate cancer.[2]
3. In 2017 there were almost 56,000 new and recurrent strokes – that is one stroke every nine minutes.[3]
4. More than 80% of strokes can be prevented.[4]
5. In 2017 there were more than 475,000 people living with the effects of stroke. This is predicted to increase to one million by 2050.[5]
6. Around 30% of stroke survivors are of working age [under the age of 65].[6]
7. 65% of stroke survivors suffer a disability that impedes their ability to carry out daily living activities unassisted.[7]
8. The financial cost of stroke in Australia is estimated to be $5 billion each year.[8]
9. In 2017, funding for stroke research through the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) represented just 4.0 percent of the total investment in medical research.[9]
10. The FAST test is an easy way to recognise and remember the signs of stroke. Using the FAST test involves asking these simple questions:
    • Face – Check their face. Has their mouth drooped?
    • Arms – Can they lift both arms?
    • Speech – Is their speech slurred? Do they understand you?
    • Time – Time is critical. If you see any of these signs, call 000 straight away.

Last updated July 2018
[1] Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2018. Australia’s Health  2018.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Deloitte Access Economics – Stroke in Australia – No postcode untouched, 2017
[4] O’Donnell,et al , Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study Lancet 2016; 388: 761–75. Published Online July 15, 2016
[5] Deloitte Access Economics – Stroke in Australia – No postcode untouched, 2017
[6] Deloitte Access Economics – The economic impact of stroke in Australia, 2013
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/research-funding-statistics-and-data – stroke statistics provided by NHMRC