Stroke recurrence rates
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Stroke Recurrence Rates: Global and Long-Term Trends
Stroke recurrence rates remain a significant concern worldwide, with studies showing that the risk of a second stroke is substantial and varies by population, stroke subtype, and time since the initial event. Recent research highlights that, despite advances in secondary prevention, recurrence rates have not declined significantly in the past decade in many regions Kolmos2021Flach2020Rücker2020.
Short-Term and Long-Term Recurrence Rates
Large-scale meta-analyses and population-based studies report that the risk of stroke recurrence increases over time. The pooled recurrence rates are approximately 7.7% at 3 months, 10.4% at 1 year, 16.1% at 2 years, and up to 39.7% at 12 years after the initial stroke . In specific populations, such as rural China, the 1-year recurrence rate is about 5.7%, and the 5-year rate is 22.5% . In Japan, a 2-year cumulative recurrence rate after a first-ever stroke was 6.8% for ischemic stroke and 3.8% for hemorrhagic stroke . In the North Dublin study, the 2-year recurrence rate was 10.8% .
Recurrence by Stroke Subtype
The risk of recurrence is influenced by the type of stroke. Large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) and cardioembolic (CE) strokes have the highest recurrence rates, often with the same subtype recurring, while small vessel occlusion (SVO) strokes have lower recurrence rates and more diverse recurrence patterns Kolmos2021Flach2020Rücker2020. For example, 5-year recurrence rates in Germany were about 20.1%, with the lowest rates in small-artery occlusion and the highest in undefined stroke subtypes .
Risk Factors for Stroke Recurrence
Common risk factors for recurrent stroke include hypertension, diabetes, atrial fibrillation, prior transient ischemic attack, high stroke severity, older age, male sex, lower education, and alcohol consumption Kolmos2021Jerrgensen1997Han2020+1 MORE. Atrial fibrillation, in particular, is associated with a significantly increased risk of recurrence Flach2020Jerrgensen1997. Hyperlipidemia and a history of prior stroke are also independent predictors of recurrence Callaly2016Mao2022.
Trends Over Time and Impact of Prevention
While some regions, such as the UK, saw a decrease in 12-month recurrence rates from 8.1% in 1995 to 4.1% in 2005, more recent data suggest that recurrence rates have plateaued despite increased use of secondary prevention medications Flach2020Mao2022. Improvements in survival after stroke have been observed, but the risk of recurrence remains largely unchanged in the last decade Flach2020Rücker2020. This suggests that while secondary prevention has improved outcomes, further strategies are needed to reduce recurrence rates, especially in high-risk subgroups Kolmos2021Mao2022.
Stroke Recurrence in Children
In children with arterial ischemic stroke, recurrence rates vary widely, with a median of 10.6% in childhood cohorts. Children with arteriopathies are at particularly high risk, with median recurrence rates of 21.8% .
Conclusion
Stroke recurrence rates remain a significant challenge globally, with risks increasing over time and varying by stroke subtype and patient characteristics. While secondary prevention has improved survival, recurrence rates have not declined substantially in recent years, highlighting the need for better risk factor management and targeted prevention strategies, especially for high-risk groups Callaly2016Kolmos2021Lin2020+7 MORE.
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Most relevant research papers on this topic
Recurrent Ischemic Stroke - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Stroke recurrence rates remain unchanged over time, with the highest recurrence rate in large artery atherosclerosis and cardioembolic strokes, and a lower recurrence rate in small vessel occlusion strokes.
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