A stroke is a condition in which the blood supply to the brain is interrupted.
The most common cause of stroke in South Africa is high blood pressure. The second most common cause is smoking and a high cholesterol level. Other causes of stroke include:
-Aneurysm, which can be caused by smoking or high blood pressure
-A clot that travels from the heart to the brain or from another part of the body to the brain
-Bleeding into a space between two brain tissues
-Head injury
How common is stroke in South Africa?
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in South Africa. Several factors can cause strokes, including smoking and high blood pressure.
Why is the stroke burden increasing in Africa?
Stroke is the second most common cause of death in Africa. The burden of stroke has been increasing in Africa, with a recent study suggesting that the stroke burden will increase by 40% by 2030. Current interventions for stroke are not nearly as effective as needed to decrease the burden of stroke in Africa. Current interventions for stroke include thrombolysis, antiplatelet or anticoagulant medications, and revascularization procedures. These treatments can reduce the number of deaths by 24–64%. However, these treatments reduce the functional decline after a stroke by only 45% and survival by only 17%. Thus, more research is needed to improve outcomes after acute stroke.
