Learn More About Strokes.

There are two types of strokes – ischaemic (clot) and haemorrhagic (bleed). About 85% of all strokes are ischaemic and 15% haemorrhagic.

Ischaemic strokes are caused by a blockage cutting off the blood supply to the brain. The blockage can be caused by a blood clot forming in an artery leading to the brain or within one of the small vessels deep inside the brain.

Haemorrhagic strokes are caused when a blood vessel bursts within or on the surface of the brain. Because the blood leaks out into the brain tissue at high pressure, the damage caused can be greater than the damage caused by strokes due to a clot.

There are two types of haemorrhagic stroke:

1. Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH) – bleeding within the brain
2. Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) – bleeding on the surface of the brain.

Haemorrhagic strokes are generally more severe and are associated with a considerably higher risk of mortality within three months and beyond, when compared to ischaemic strokes.

10–15% of people affected with SAH die before reaching hospital and 25% die within 24 hours.

Without treatment 25–30% will re-bleed within the first four weeks – 70% of these people will die as a result.

It is not unusual for strokes to be of an undetermined cause.

Strokes in the UK

• Stroke occurs approximately 152,000 times a year in the UK.
• That is one stroke every 3 minutes and 27 seconds in the UK.
• Incidence rates in the UK vary depending on the country or region being researched. It can range from 115 per 100,000 population to 150 per 100,000 population depending on the study.
• Stroke incidence rates fell 19% from 1990 to 2010 in the UK.
• Men are at a 25% higher risk of having a stroke and at a younger age compared to women.
• However, as women live longer there are more total incidences of stroke in women.
• The greatest risk of recurrent stroke is in the first 30 days.
• Every two seconds someone in the world will have a stroke for the first time.
• There were almost 17 million incidences of first-time stroke worldwide in 2010.

For more information visit stroke.org.uk