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Facts and figures about stroke

  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 will be 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 will be 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 which 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 2015, funding for stroke research through the National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC) represented just 4.1 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
     
     
  1. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2016. Australia’s Health  2016
  2. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2014. Australia’s Health 2014.
  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. Deloitte Access Economics - The economic impact of stroke in Australia, 2013
  8. Deloitte Access Economics - The economic impact of stroke in Australia, 2013
  9. https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/grants-funding/research-funding-statistics-and-data - stroke statistics provided by NHMRC