80% of strokes caused by 5 risk factors

Friday June 18th 2010

The Irish Heart Foundation today urged the Irish public to take greater control over their risk of having a stroke after the world’s biggest ever study of the disease revealed that 80% of strokes are caused by five factors – high blood pressure, smoking, abdominal obesity, diet and physical activity.

Medical Director of the heart health and stroke charity, Angie Brown, said that "well over half of the annual toll of 10,000 strokes in Ireland could be avoided by lifestyle changes to combat these risk factors".

“A huge proportion of Irish people don’t know what a stroke is, let alone know how to prevent themselves from having one. There are some factors such as age and family background that they can’t control, but many more they can.

“One in five people in Ireland will have a stroke at some time in their life. But by controlling your blood pressure, giving up smoking, eating healthily, watching your weight and taking regular exercise you can substantially reduce the chances that you will be one of them.”

The INTERSTROKE study reveals that stroke claims almost 6 million lives a year worldwide – some 87% in lower income countries. It says stroke is the second biggest cause of death worldwide and the biggest in many regions.
Whilst five risk factors were responsible for 80% of stroke, that figure rose to 90% when five further factors – lipids (fats), diabetes mellitus, alcohol intake, stress and depression, and heart disorders – were taken into account.

The research project, which was presented at The World Congress of Cardiology, Beijing, is being led by Dr Martin J O’Donnell, of the National University of Ireland, Galway, along with a Canadian colleague. The authors used data from 6,000 people (3,000 cases of stroke and 3,000 controls) in 22 countries worldwide, covering the period March, 2007 to April, 2010.

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Media queries to Chris Macey, Irish Heart Foundation
Tel: 01-634 6932