The prevalence of stroke and associated disability

Background There are limited data available on the prevalence of stroke in the United Kingdom. Such data are important for the assessment of the healt h needs of the population. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of stroke and the prevalence of associated dependence in a district of norther n England. Methods This was a two-stage point prevalence study. A valid screening ques tionnaire was used to identify stroke survivors from an age- and sex-strati fied sample of the population aged 45 years and over in a family health ser vices authority district. This was followed by assessment of stroke patient s with scales of disability and handicap. Results The overall prevalence of stroke was found to be 17.5/1000 (95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 17.0, 18.0). The prevalence of stroke-associa ted dependence was 11.7/1000 (95 per cent CI 11.3, 12.1). Self-reported com orbidity was most commonly due to circulatory and musculoskeletal disorders . Conclusions The prevalence of stroke in this district is considerably highe r than current guidelines and previous results suggest. Nevertheless, the r esult from this study combined with that from a previous study in another d istrict in the United Kingdom should allow those interested in epidemiologi cally based health needs assessment to make reasonable estimates of the bur den of stroke in their area.