The number of new cases of ischaemic stroke is set to rise by more than 4% every year over the next decade in the US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan and China, says data analyst GlobalData.

Ageing populations and an increased prevalence of stroke-associated risk factors are helping to drive the figures, it says.

GlobalData anticipates that the number of newly diagnosed cases of ischaemic stroke will increase at an annual growth rate of 4.4%, from approximately 2.6 million cases in 2017 to 3.7 million cases in 2027 across all eight countries, considered to be the major markets for stroke treatment.

The number of already diagnosed cases is also expected to increase at an annual growth rate of 2.8% to approximately 23 million cases by 2027.

“This increase in incidence and prevalence of [ischaemic stroke] is driven by the underlying population dynamics such as population growth and ageing. The elderly population is increasing rapidly in [these eight countries] and so is the number of incident and prevalent cases, making it a major public health concern as it is one of the major causes of long-term disability, income lost due to disability, and poor quality of life,” comments Dr Ana Fernandez Menjivar, epidemiologist at GlobalData .

Other factors contributing to the increase in cases are the rising prevalence of risk factors for the condition such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes.

But the anticipated trend will put economic pressure on the healthcare systems in each country because of the high recurrence rates and the potential medical consequences of loss of speech and vision, and paralysis, she says.

“Several countries have implemented national stroke registries to improve assessments for the burden of stroke and monitor the frequency of the condition in the population. Initiatives such a registries and promotion of lifestyle changes that help reduce the occurrence of first-ever stroke and recurrence of [ischaemic stroke] will be central in reducing the burden of the disease,” concludes Dr Menjivar.