Please see below for links to the about stroke pages:

• WHAT HAPPENS DURING A STROKE
• STROKE SYMPTOMS
• STROKE RISK AND PREVENTION
• STROKE INTERVENTIONS
• Identifying stroke
• Emergency care
• Acute care
• Long-term support
• HOW SERIOUS IS STROKE?
• LONG-TERM NEEDS OF STROKE SURVIVORS AND THEIR CARERS
• GUIDELINES
• STROKE ACTION PLAN FOR EUROPE
• SAFE CALL TO ACTION
• FACTS AND FIGURES
• RESOURCES.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off. This can be caused by a blockage in a blood vessel in the brain (an ischaemic stroke) or a bleed from a blood vessel in the brain (a haemorrhagic stroke). The faster blood flow is restored to the brain, the better chance someone has of making a good recovery.

About 85% of strokes are ischaemic stroke (UK Stroke Association). An ischaemic stroke where the symptoms last for less than twenty-four hours is known as a transient ischaemic attack or TIA.

Every year, over 750,000 people in Europe will have a stroke – more than one stroke a minute (forward of Stroke Action Plan for Europe). Their stroke could be devastating – leading to death or life-long disability, shattering their lives and those of their loved ones. Those who survive their stroke will join the millions of stroke survivors across Europe who live with the health, social and financial impacts. Stroke is one of the world’s biggest killers after heart disease and cancer. It is the leading cause of severe disability (https://www.safestroke.eu/stroke-facts-and-figures/).

Stroke outcomes are greatly improved when stroke is treated as an emergency and people have access to specialised acute stroke care and rehabilitation. [LINK to new page on the Stroke Care along the Pathway] Stroke is also a largely preventable disease (https://strokeprevention.info)

Rehabilitation is a vital part of specialised stroke care, helping stroke survivors to regain mobility and speech. The medical evidence indicates that it is most effective in the first three months after a stroke, but stroke survivors report benefits of rehabilitation support over the longer term.

Recent reports from SAFE have shown that the number of strokes and the number of stroke survivors are both set to rise in Europe and economic impact of stroke is also projected to increase. Between 2015 and 2035, overall there will be a 34% increase in total number of stroke events in the EU from 613,148 in 2015 to 819,771 in 2035. The total cost (health care, social care, informal care and productivity losses) of stroke care was €60 billion in 2017. Future costs of stroke care in Europe could increase to €86 billion in 2040 if we fail to invest in stroke prevention, treatments and rehabilitation

https://www.safestroke.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/The-Burden-Of-Stroke-In-Europe-Report-Main-Document_ENG_All-references.pdf) and https://www.safestroke.eu/economic-impact-of-stroke/