The first study, titled ‘The burden, risk factors and unique etiologies of stroke in South-East Asia Region (SEAR)’, was carried out by researchers affiliated with Christian Medical College and Hospital, in Punjab’s Ludhiana, Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and St. Stephen’s Hospital, the Christian Medical College in Vellore, and ICMR’s National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research. Tuesday in The Lancet. It was carried out by researchers associated with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and other medical institutions in India, Sri Lanka and Singapore.

Researchers from Sri Lanka’s University of Kelaniya and Singapore’s Raffles Hospital were also involved in the study. 

Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are particularly susceptible to stroke deaths, the studies have found. In a second article titled ‘Pragmatic solutions to reduce the global burden of stroke: a World Stroke Organization–Lancet Neurology Commission’, researchers project a surge in stroke deaths worldwide to 9.7 million by 2050 from 6.6 million in 2020, with LMIC countries being especially affected by it.    

“Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and the burden of disability after a stroke is also large, and is increasing at a faster pace in LMIC countries than in high-income countries. Alarmingly, the incidence of stroke is increasing in young and middle-aged people, aged less than 55 years, globally,” according to the second study. 

The studies propose “pragmatic solutions for the implementation of evidence-based interventions to reduce the global burden of stroke”.

ICMR Director General Dr Rajiv Bahl, who also released the study separately, stressed the importance of implementing evidence-based stroke care to mitigate disability and prevent new strokes. 

“ICMR is actively engaged in crafting country-specific ambulatory care models at the primary care level to combat non-communicable diseases,” he said in a statement.