Stroke: Risk factors and prevention

Madam, Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world with an estimated population of approximately 167 million as of July 2008. There are no sizeable community based epidemiologic studies on stroke from Pakistan. Stroke is the third most common cause of death and the first leading cause of disability in the developed and developing countries. According to World Health Organization, 5.5 million people died of stroke in 2002, and roughly 20% of these deaths occurred in South Asia. Estimated annual incidence is 250/100,000, translating to 350,000 new cases every year. At a major University hospital with a busy Neurology service in Karachi, 519 patients with stroke were admitted over a 22 month period.