The calculations from the Swedish Heart and Lung Foundation are based on the National Board of Health and Welfare's cause of death statistics. In the early 2000s, there were around 151 deaths from stroke per 100,000 inhabitants. That figure has now decreased to 68, more than halved.
This means that just over 3,370 fewer people die from stroke per year today compared with 20 years ago. The incidence of stroke has also been halved.
"The reduction in mortality is an effect of successes in preventing a first stroke, having more effective emergency treatment when a stroke occurs, and reducing stroke recurrences," says Bo Norrving, professor of neurology in Lund, in a press release.
