Stroke risk for UK adults could be reduced through starting one small change

London adults could take steps to avoid having a stroke if more people knew the top risk factors for stroke and made one small change to their lifestyle, the UK’s leading stroke charity says.

The Stroke Association is launching a national campaign inspiring people to pledge to make one small change to reduce their risk of stroke ─ starting on Stroke Prevention day, Thursday 14 January ─ and stop stroke being the fourth biggest cause of death in the UK.

New survey results by the Stroke Association found that only one in 20 (8%) UK adults in London think they’re at high risk of stroke¹. This is despite the fact that, in the UK, more than one in every five (21%) adults will have a stroke in their lifetime².

The new research commissioned by the charity shows this may be because people don’t know what puts them at risk. Well over Half (58%) of the capital don’t know that high blood pressure is a top risk factor for stroke¹. Blood pressure is one of the biggest causes for stroke and 55% of stroke patients have hypertension (high blood pressure) when they have their stroke³.

This is concerning because conservative estimates predict that as many as 1 in 6 adults have high blood pressure⁴, but only 13% of people would focus on their blood pressure to reduce their stroke risk.

Nine in 10 (89%) strokes are associated with modifiable risk factors⁵, elements of your lifestyle that can be changed to reduce your risk. According to the INTERSTROKE study, the world’s largest study of stroke causes, the modifiable risk factors that cause the most strokes in countries such as the UK are high blood pressure, high body weight and poor diet.

Worryingly, knowledge of the top risk factors for stroke was low across the board:

• Over three in four Londoners (73%) don’t know that weight is a top risk factor that can increase your risk of stroke
• Nine in ten of the population (85%) don’t know that your diet is a top risk factor that can increase your risk of stroke

Juliet Bouverie, Chief Executive at the Stroke Association says, “A stroke happens in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do. Stroke is the fourth biggest cause of death in the UK, but it doesn’t need to be. For those that survive, the impact varies depending on which part of the brain is affected. It could be anything from wiping out your speech and physical abilities, to affecting your emotions and personality. Many strokes can be avoided if you take action.

“When you don’t know your risk, you there’s no motivation to reduce it. Most people know that living a smoke free life, drinking carefully and eating healthily is good for you, but it’s clear from our research that people aren’t always sure why these are important things to do. If more people understood the benefits of making healthy changes, more people would act to reduce their stroke risk.

“The biggest thing you can do reduce your risk of stroke is to start by making one small change. We want to help as many people as possible to understand the personal risk of stroke and make that first, positive step to prevent having one. It can happen to anyone, at any age and at any time, but we know that people who take steps to reduce their risk are less likely to have a stroke.”

The survey results found a lack of understanding of the risk factors that increase your risk of stroke and a shocking lack of information being accessed to help people reduce their risk. Over half of Londoners (51%) said that they have had no information about stroke reduction recently. Nationally, this rockets to over four in five (85%) of over-65s, who are most at risk of having a stroke¹.

• To help people to make one small change, the Stroke Association have launched a campaign in partnership with Rotary GB&I, LoSalt and OMRON Healthcare ─ pledge to make #OneSmallChange on Stroke Prevention Day and receive guidance on how to stick to your one small change. Visit www.stroke.org.uk/PreventionDayto find out how.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Ken Scott, PR & Media Officer at the Stroke Association at ken.scott@stroke.org.uk or 0115 7788429

Notes to editors

About the research

Statistics based on a 4Media Relations nationally representative survey of 2,000 members of the public, excluding stroke survivors, conducted in December 2020.

References

1: Research conducted by 4Media Relations on behalf of the Stroke Association, December 2020

2: GBD 2016 Lifetime Risk of Stroke Collaborators, Global, regional, and country-specific lifetime risks of stroke, 1990 and 2016. Supplementary Appendix, Pg90. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1804492

3: Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP) annual results portfolio, 2019-20. https://www.strokeaudit.org/results/Clinical-audit/National-Results.aspx

4: Taken from the latest Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) figures from individual home nations.

5: Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study, VOLUME 388, ISSUE 10046, P761-775, AUGUST 20, 2016

About the Stroke Association

• Stroke strikes every five minutes in the UK and it changes lives in an instant.
• The Stroke Association is a charity working across the UK to support people to rebuild their lives after stroke. We believe that everyone deserves to live the best life they can after stroke. From local support services and groups, to online information and support, anyone affected by stroke can visit stroke.org.uk or call our dedicated Stroke Helpline on 0303 3033 100 to find out about support available locally.
• Our specialist support, research and campaigning are only possible with the courage and determination of the stroke community and the generosity of our supporters. With more donations and support, we can help rebuild even more lives.
• You can follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

About Rotary GB&I

Rotary International in Great Britain & Ireland is a membership and humanitarian service organisation. Through membership of their local Rotary club, members use their time and talents to make a difference in their own communities and around the world.

There are over 1,700 clubs in Great Britain and Ireland with 45,000 members. Rotary is open to anyone over the age of 18 who wants to give back to their community, meet new people and have fun.

Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland

Laura Willcox, Communications Officer

laura.willcox@rotarygbi.org

01789 768110

About LoSalt®:

All the taste of regular table, sea and rock salts with 66% less sodium.

The leading brand of reduced sodium salt in the UK.

Manufactured in Scotland, Klinge Foods Ltd expertly blends two natural mineral salts (potassium chloride and sodium chloride) to produce LoSalt.

Excess levels of sodium in our diet (the main source being salt) is linked to high blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. Not enough potassium in the diet is also a contributor to hypertension

At a population level, the potential benefits of using potassium-based sodium replacers to help reduce sodium in foods outweigh the potential risks (SACN-COT report, Nov. 2017). An increased potassium intake may reduce blood pressure, decrease risk of cardiovascular disease, have beneficial effects on bone-mineral density, and mitigate the negative consequences of high sodium consumption (World Health Organisation, Potassium intake for adults and children report, 2012).

A simple switch, LoSalt is used in exactly the same way as you would other salts – in cooking, baking or at the table.

Launched in 1983 it is sold in 30 countries worldwide .

LoSalt Press Office

Taryn Glenister / Kathryn Race

losalt@ceres-pr.co.uk

01189475956

About Omron Healthcare

Committed to helping people live more active and fulfilling lives with zero compromise, OMRON Healthcare is a global leader in the field of clinically proven, innovative medical equipment for health monitoring and therapy.

Throughout its 87-year history OMRON Healthcare has been striving to improve lives and contribute to a better society by developing innovations that help people prevent, treat and manage their medical conditions, both at home and in clinical practice in over 117 countries.

OMRON Healthcare is the No. 1 brand recommended by cardiologists in Europe for blood pressure monitors and the Global No. 1 brand in nebulisers for respiratory treatment with over 30 million devices sold. The company’s additional core product categories are low-frequency pain therapy equipment, body composition monitors and electronic thermometers.

OMRON Healthcare Group is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. OMRON Healthcare Europe B.V. is the healthcare division for Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa and provides services to customers in more than 74 countries.

OMRON Healthcare Europe B.V.

Scorpius 33, 2132 LR Hoofddorp, The Netherlands

+31 (0)23 55 44 700, info.omronhealthcare@eu.omron.com