Is There Any Secular Trend in Stroke and in Death-Related Stroke?
The annual overall incidence of stroke is estimated at 127,000 in Germany, 112,000 in Italy, 101,000 in UK, 89,000 in Spain and 78,000 in France. In Japan which had the highest stroke rate in the 1970s, there has been a dramatic decline in stroke incidence during these last years (7%/year). Death related to stroke is declining in many countries (Finland, Sweden, France, Spain) and in both sexes. The Scandinavian countries (Norway, Sweden, Denmark). The Netherlands and Switzerland have the lowest rates (38/100.000/year to 47/100.000/year). However, in eastern European countries (Russia, Bulgaria, Hungary, etc.) the rate of stroke mortality is still high (176/100,000/year to 249/1,000,000/year) and may even be currently increasing.
