Every year on 29 October, the world marks World Stroke Day to raise awareness of stroke prevention, recognition, and treatment. This year there was extra reason to pay attention: in May, the World Health Assembly adopted the first-ever resolution dedicated to stroke. This guide covers the numbers, the warning signs, and what you can do.
According to the World Stroke Organization’s 2025 Fact Sheet, which draws on Global Burden of Disease 2021 data:
Stroke is not only a disease of old age. About 15% of all strokes occur in people aged 15 to 49, and one in four people over 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime.
India’s Health Ministry told Parliament in February 2025 that, according to the Global Burden of Disease study, the crude incidence rate of stroke in India rose 30.1% between 1990 and 2019. The same reply said ICMR had not collected data on trends in young stroke specifically.
Business Today reported on ICMR registry data covering nearly 35,000 cases, finding that one in seven stroke patients in India is under 45, with hypertension the top risk factor.
The American Stroke Association uses BE FAST, covering balance, eyesight, facial drooping, arm or leg weakness, speech difficulty, and time to call emergency services.
About Me – Dr. Rajnandini Dubey
Hello, I’m Dr. Rajnandini Dubey, a Physiotherapist with a Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy and currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy. Along with my academic career, I have been working as a professional academic and medical writer for the past 3–4 years, contributing to research papers, postgraduate thesis, PhD dissertations, and healthcare websites.
Through The Health Journals, my aim is simple: to provide reliable, evidence-based, and authentic health information that readers can truly trust. In today’s digital world, health information is widely available, but unfortunately, not all of it is accurate or scientifically supported. That is why every piece of content shared here is written with a strong focus on research evidence, clinical knowledge, and academic integrity.
My experience in physiotherapy education, research writing, and healthcare content development allows me to analyze scientific literature and present it in a way that is clear, practical, and useful for students, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
I strongly believe that health education should be based on facts, not misinformation. This platform is dedicated to sharing credible updates, research-based insights, and scientifically validated health knowledge so that readers can make informed decisions about their health and learning.If you are looking for authentic health information backed by scientific understanding, you are in the right place.
Even if symptoms fade, a brief episode may be a transient ischemic attack (“mini-stroke”), which should still be treated as a major emergency.
India’s Emergency Response Support System runs a single national number, 112, which integrates the older police, fire and ambulance numbers, including 108. The 108 ambulance number is listed for Rajasthan and many other states.
While you wait, note the time you first noticed the symptoms, because treatment decisions depend on it.
The American Stroke Association says stroke patients given a clot-busting drug (alteplase or tenecteplase) within 4.5 hours of their first symptoms were more likely to recover with little or no disability. These drugs help only in strokes caused by a blockage, and only a doctor can decide who is eligible after a brain scan.
The fact sheet adds that effective treatments exist but reach only a fraction of patients and calls for better access to mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure that removes a clot.
The Fact Sheet reports that 84% of the global stroke burden in 2021 was linked to 23 modifiable risk factors. The biggest:
The authors also stress that about 90% of strokes occur in people with low-to-medium stroke risk, so prevention is for everyone, not just people who already have risk factors.
Stroke survivors face a higher risk of another one. Around 2 to 3% have a second stroke within 30 days, 9% within six months, and 10 to 16% within a year. That is why follow-up care and treating underlying conditions matter.
The resolution adopted at the 79th World Health Assembly is titled “Reducing the burden of stroke: strengthening prevention, acute care, rehabilitation, and health system readiness. " It includes 16 action areas for member states and 8 requests to the WHO Director-General and was led by Egypt and co-sponsored by five other nations.
Medical disclaimer: This article is for information only and is not medical advice. If you think someone is having a stroke, call emergency services immediately.
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— Dr. Rajnandini Dubey
MPT (Sports Physiotherapy)
Assistant Professor | Physiotherapist | Academic & Medical Writer
About Me – Dr. Rajnandini Dubey
Hello, I’m Dr. Rajnandini Dubey, a Physiotherapist with a Master’s degree in Sports Physiotherapy and currently working as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physiotherapy. Along with my academic career, I have been working as a professional academic and medical writer for the past 3–4 years, contributing to research papers, postgraduate thesis, PhD dissertations, and healthcare websites.
Through The Health Journals, my aim is simple: to provide reliable, evidence-based, and authentic health information that readers can truly trust. In today’s digital world, health information is widely available, but unfortunately, not all of it is accurate or scientifically supported. That is why every piece of content shared here is written with a strong focus on research evidence, clinical knowledge, and academic integrity.
My experience in physiotherapy education, research writing, and healthcare content development allows me to analyze scientific literature and present it in a way that is clear, practical, and useful for students, healthcare professionals, and the general public.
I strongly believe that health education should be based on facts, not misinformation. This platform is dedicated to sharing credible updates, research-based insights, and scientifically validated health knowledge so that readers can make informed decisions about their health and learning.
If you are looking for authentic health information backed by scientific understanding, you are in the right place.
— Dr. Rajnandini Dubey
MPT (Sports Physiotherapy)
Assistant Professor | Physiotherapist | Academic & Medical Writer
... • 5 min read
