• Every 5 minutes someone in the UK suffers a stroke and there are an estimated 150,000 new cases per year
• Around one third of strokes could potentially be prevented
• Currently only 40% of the UK population know the symptoms of stroke
• Most strokes are age-related. More than 75% occur in people over 65 years of age, but 1,000 people under 30 have a stroke in the UK each year

Risk factors for TIA and stroke:

• Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
• Obesity
• Drug and alcohol abuse
• Stress
• Inactivity (lack of physical activity)
• Carotid stenosis

• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Diabetes
• Hormone treatments – combined contraceptive pill, HRT
• Diet high in salt and fatty foods

Groups at higher risk of stroke:

• Afro Caribbean and South Asian communities
• Areas of deprivation
• Those with a first degree relative who had a stroke at an early age (under 50)

• Over 65s
• Men under 75 are at higher risk than women under 75

How GPs can make a difference:

• Support people to live a healthy lifestyle
• Encourage smoking cessation
• Monitor co-morbidities (e.g. diabetes)
• BP checks and monitoring
• Stress management

• Increase awareness of stroke
• Facilitate weight loss and physical activity programmes
• Opportunistic pulse palpitation to detect AF
• Appropriate treatment of patients with AF including monitoring of anticoagulation
• Cholesterol checks
• Participation in NHS Health Checks

Encouraging people to live a healthy lifestyle and ensuring that there is a greater awareness of stroke and its symptoms will help reduce the number of strokes in London. Currently, London performs below the national average as measured by a variety of stroke prevention indicators. While London’s diverse population creates particular challenges such as language and social barriers, there is a greater potential to improve stroke prevention.¹