No Postcode Untouched – Preventing Strokes in North Sydney Electorate

The Stroke Foundation commissioned Deloitte Access Economics to update the Stroke Foundation’s No Postcode Untouched, Stroke in Australia 2020 report.  The No Postcode Untouched, Stroke in Australia 2020 maps stroke incidence, prevalence and risk factors by federal electorate division.  Lane Cove’s Federal Electorate is North Sydney.

This Stroke Foundation also commissioned a report on the economic impact of stroke in Australia, 2020.  Deloitte Access Economics has estimated that stroke costs the Australian economy $6.2 billion per year, including $3.6 billion in lost productivity. Read the report here.

Key Facts About Stroke

• 8,926 NSW residents will experience a stroke for the first time in 2020 (27,428 Australians).
• 145,066 survivors of stroke are living in NSW in 2020 (445,087 Australians).
• 2,901 NSW residents will die as a result of stroke this year (8,703 Australians).
• The economic cost of stroke exceeded $6.2 billion, with a further $26.0 billion in lost wellbeing – due to short and long-term disability, and premature death, nationally.
• Reducing uncontrolled high blood pressure and providing quicker access to emergency stroke treatments has the potential to save $179.0 million over five years in economic costs, and $2.4 billion in reduced mortality and improved wellbeing annually.
• Regional and rural Australians are 17 per cent more likely to experience a stroke than their metropolitan counterparts.
• 24 per cent of strokes were in Australians aged 18-54 in 2020, in 2012 this number was 14 per cent.

Strokes in North Sydney – The Stats

The stats for North Sydney are quite sobering when you compare them to NSW and National figures.

In North Sydney, the gap between male and female stroke patients is less than 200 patients.

Nationally the 0 to 55 age group has seen an increase in stroke patients.

Risk Factors

Our cover photo shows the stroke risk factors for North Sydney residents.

High blood pressure

Around 4.7 million Australians have high blood pressure. High blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke. The World Health Organization and the National Heart Foundation of Australia define ‘high’ blood pressure as systolic pressure at or above 140mmHg.

Major contributors to high blood pressure include poor diet (especially high salt intake), being overweight, excessive alcohol consumption and insufficient physical activity.

Research suggests that 48% of strokes could be prevented if high blood pressure was eliminated. Lowering blood pressure has been conclusively shown to prevent both ischaemic and haemorrhagic strokes, and it is equally important in secondary prevention.

Atrial fibrillation

Almost 385,000 Australians have an irregular heartbeat known as atrial fibrillation. The prevalence of atrial fibrillation increases with age, affecting around 1 in 5 people aged 85 years or older. Atrial fibrillation is associated with one in four strokes.

Like high blood pressure, many people are unaware they suffer from atrial fibrillation and how serious the condition is. As a consequence, too few people are accessing life-saving treatments to control atrial fibrillation.

Almost 2.5 million Australians live with high cholesterol. High cholesterol is defined as total cholesterol greater than or equal to 5.5 mmol/L. ¹ High cholesterol contributes to blood vessel disease, which often leads to stroke. High-density lipoprotein (‘good’) cholesterol helps to reduce cardiovascular disease risk, while low-density lipoprotein (‘bad’) cholesterol can increase risk. Cholesterol comes from two sources – the food we eat (of which only 50 per cent of the cholesterol may be absorbed) as well as that synthesised and metabolised in the body, mainly the liver, which is by far the greater amount. High cholesterol levels have been associated with ischaemic stroke – those caused by clots. Statins (a group of medicines that can help lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood) are demonstrated to reduce the risk of stroke by about 20 per cent.

Physical inactivity

Over 3.1 million Australians, or around 12% of the Australian population report no physical activity within the past week. ¹ There are also many more Australians who do not meet the National Physical Activity Guidelines which recommend 2.5-5 hours of moderate physical activity or 1.25-2.5 hours of vigorous physical activity each week, with an aim to be active on most days of the week. ²

Insufficient physical activity may be linked to stroke, as well as other risk factors considered in this report such as being overweight or obese, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Daily smoking

Around 2.8 million Australians smoke on a daily basis. Smoking is a significant risk factor of stroke, with the Australian Burden of Disease Study estimating that smoking is attributable to 11% of the total burden of stroke. Smoking increases the likelihood of dying as a result of stroke, while a ‘pack a day’ smoker is more than six times as likely to have a stroke compared to a non-smoker.

Smoking has several effects on the body, including thickening the blood, increasing the risk of blood clots and thinning the arteries. Smoking also limits the amount of oxygen in the blood.

Overweight and obesity

More than 1 in 2 Australians are overweight or obese, with an estimated 13.8 million overweight or obese Australians in 2020. Overweight and obese Australians were defined by a body mass index of >25 (with a score of >30 representing obese Australians). Overweight and obesity are prevalent across all ages, though the likelihood peaks at around 60 years of age. At this age, more than 80% of men and 70% of women were overweight or obese.

Obesity or being overweight can contribute to other risk factors including high blood pressure and high cholesterol which heighten the risk of stroke.

Economic Impact