Zhongshan Hospital recruited 3,000 individuals from the stroke-prone population aged 20 for a study. Reporters learned yesterday from Zhongshan Hospital that the incidence of stroke in China ranks first in the world, with 1.5 million stroke patients dying each year, and the condition is getting younger and younger. For the study of the basic disease-induced risk of stroke, Zhongshan Medical initiated the Guangzhou City Community Stroke Prevention Project, which will enroll 3,000 patients at high risk of stroke to establish health records, follow up on patients, and recommend lifestyle interventions.
According to reports, 1.5 million patients die each year from strokes in China, accounting for 22.45% of total deaths, with an average of one person dying every 21 seconds due to a stroke, making it the leading cause of death among Chinese residents. 75% of cured patients experience varying degrees of incapacity, while 50% of patients cannot take care of themselves. Patients may relapse within 3-5 years. According to the 2004 findings on cerebrovascular disease, the average cost of each treatment was 6,356 yuan, twice the rural per capita annual income, accounting for 67% of the urban per capita disposable annual income. The cost of repeated incidences can be several times more than what an average family can afford.
The project is funded by the Guangzhou Municipal Science and Technology Agency, and Zhongshan Hospital has started the first phase of the Guangzhou City Community Stroke Prevention Project, conducted in 10 communities from the Agriculture and Forestry area of Yuexiu District, recruiting 3,000 individuals in the first phase.