Encouraging the public to help protect themselves against stroke 

15 Jan 2026 Stroke prevention

Around 12 million people worldwide will experience their first stroke this year (1). Globally 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime (1).

Prevention is the most effective and cost-efficient way to reduce the global burden of stroke. Over 80% of strokes are associated with identifiable risk factors (2). Therefore, effective prevention programmes are crucial to reduce lifetime risk and the effects of the disease.

Stroke support organisations (SSOs) around the world play a vital role in raising public awareness of stroke prevention. The World Stroke Organization found that 91% (81/89) of SSOs provide local and national public education on risk factors (3). Many SSOs have strong community links, networks of volunteers and long-term partnerships and are able to complement and reinforce health service prevention messages.

In the UK, the Stroke Association, a leading SSO globally, promotes a Stroke Prevention Day which this year falls on the 29th January. The Stroke Association is encouraging the public to help protect themselves against stroke by monitoring their blood pressure regularly and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level. This includes eating a healthy diet, not smoking or vaping, getting regular exercise, and not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. 

The Stroke Association is encouraging its supporters and members of the public to get involved in a number of ways, including hosting awareness events and sharing awareness messages on social media.

The lived experience stories of stroke survivors, families and carers are essential to the Stroke Association’s awareness campaigns. For this year’s Stroke Prevention Day, mum-of-three Claire is sharing her story. During her pregnancy with her youngest child, Claire was diagnosed with gestational hypertension. She hadn't experienced this with her previous pregnancies and was prescribed medication to control it. However, she didn’t know that this carries a risk of stroke in the future.

Claire said: 'I had no idea how dangerous my blood pressure really was. I was walking around in blissful denial, not understanding that by not monitoring or managing it properly, I was putting my life at risk.'

The Stroke Association has shared some simple steps you can follow to help lower blood pressure https://www.stroke.org.uk/stroke-prevention-day

Feigin VL, Brainin M, Norrving B, et al. (2025) World Stroke Organization: Global Stroke Fact Sheet 2025. International Journal of Stroke.

O’Donnell MJ et al. INTERSTROKE investigators (2016) Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study. Lancet.

https://www.world-stroke.org/assets/downloads/WSO_Report_2021_01032021.pdf

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