Striking developments in stroke epidemiology, initially based on the results of the Framingham study, have greatly improved our neuroepidemiological knowledge of the disease.
The development of stroke registries has made it possible to evaluate the descriptive epidemiology of stroke and its evolution. With the increasing use of CT-scan, MRI, and either cardiac or vascular imaging, the diagnosis of stroke and its subtypes has been made easier. Over the last 20 years, a decrease in the incidence and mortality of stroke has been observed in Western countries. In contrast, in Dijon, which has the only population-based stroke registry in France, stable incidence rates have been reported. However, over the same period, age at stroke onset has risen by five years in men and eight years in women, which is probably related to both population aging and improvements in primary prevention and general health. The reported decrease in case-fatality rates suggests better acute management of stroke patients, and explains in part the increase in the prevalence of stroke. In addition, the assessment of vascular risk factors has demonstrated that high blood pressure remains the principal risk factor for both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke, and that antihypertensive treatment is able to reduce stroke incidence.
Epidemiology studies could make it possible to measure the impact of new therapeutic strategies applied in both primary and secondary prevention.
Prevention, diagnosis, and acute treatment of stroke have considerably improved, but cerebrovascular diseases together with myocardial infarction remain the leading cause of death. Despite the absence of a rise in the incidence of stroke, its prevalence has increased. This is due to the decrease in case-fatality rates. As a consequence, there is an urgent need to organize health networks around stroke. Moreover, the rise in stroke-free life expectancy is a positive finding that reflects improvements in prevention.