On European Stroke Awareness Day (Tuesday 10 May) we raise awareness of one of 10 key modifiable risk factors of stroke – high blood pressure.
According to recent statistics from Eurostat (European Commission research), 1 in 5 Europeans have high blood pressure.
The highest levels of high blood pressure were recorded in Croatia (37% of people), Latvia and Hungary (both 32%).
In contrast, the lowest shares were recorded in Ireland (12%), Luxembourg, Romania and the Netherlands (all 16%).
Our Vice President Professor Anita Arsovska said:
The majority of strokes can be prevented by changing lifestyle and behaviours. Our stroke prevention website https://strokeprevention.info/ has been updated with all the latest facts and information to help people reduce their risk of stroke. It is available in six languages (English, French, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish).
Stroke prevention is a target outlined in the Stroke Action Plan for Europe. National stroke plans need to include stroke prevention and public health interventions to promote healthy lifestyles.
