Stroke in Italy: A Disease to Prevent

Stroke, a disease determining an increasing socioeconomic burden in aging populations, represents the second cause of mortality worldwide and the third cause of mortality in western countries. In our study, crude annual incidence rate of stroke was 293/100,000. Several conditions and life-style factors have been identified as risk factors for stroke. Their recognition is important to prevent stroke. Atherothrombosis contributes a large proportion of cases; however, conventional stroke risk factors do not fully account for the risk of stroke, and often stroke victims with documented atherosclerosis may not show any conventional risk factor. A major goal is to promote prevention of stroke through identification and clarification of new risk factors and pathogenic mechanisms. Moreover, early stroke prevention requires a comprehensive multidisciplinary strategy to educate and promote adherence to preventive protocols.