Every year, approximately 62,000 people with ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) are treated in Canadian hospitals.
It is estimated that for each symptomatic stroke, there are nine covert strokes that result in vascular cognitive impairment – that can range from subtle changes in cognitive function and processes to severe vascular dementia.
Stroke and other cerebrovascular diseases are the third leading cause of death in Canada.
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability, with over 405,000 Canadians living with the effects of stroke.
About 60% of stroke patients are left with some disability and more than 40% are left with moderate to severe disability that requires more intense rehabilitation and support in the community. In Canada, 19% of people with stroke accessed inpatient rehabilitation services in 2016 and 10% were admitted to long-term care.
Although there are many proven interventions for stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, they are not widely or consistently applied.
In Canada there are more than 10,000 children (0 – 18 years) living with stroke.
Stroke unit care is recognized as the gold standard when it comes to acute stroke care. It is well-established that patients who receive stroke unit care are more likely to survive, return home and regain independence compared to patients who receive less organized forms of care
