Nearly 800,000 (approximately 795,000) people in the United States have a stroke every year, with about three in four being first-time strokes.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, killing nearly 130,000 people a year (128,978). That’s one in every 20 deaths.
Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds.
Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.
Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and the leading preventable cause of disability.
More women than men have strokes each year, in part because women live longer.
Estimates of the overall annual incidence of stroke in US children are 6.4 per 100,000 children (0 to 15 years), with approximately half being hemorrhagic strokes.
87% of strokes are classified as ischemic. An ischemic stroke occurs when a clot or a mass blocks a blood vessel, cutting off blood flow to a part of the brain.
African-Americans are more impacted by stroke than any other racial group within the American population.
For more statistics about stroke, see our latest update on Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics.