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Stroke Factsheet

Home » What We Do » Stroke » Stroke Factsheet

What is a stroke?

A stroke is the brain equivalent of a heart attack and happens when the blood supply to a part of the brain is cut off by:

• a clot/blockage in a blood vessel or
• a bleed from a blood vessel

Blood carries all the essential nutrients and oxygen needed by the brain to function. When the blood supply is interrupted as a result of either of these two types of stroke, then the brain will not get the oxygen it needs and brain cells die. When a stroke occurs, some or all of our senses and bodily functions can be affected.

Stroke Statistics

• Every year in N. Ireland around 4,000 people suffer a stroke - that's one person every five minutes.
• Stroke is the third biggest killer and the leading cause of severe disability in Northern Ireland.
• At least 40 per cent of strokes are preventable
• More than three times as many women die from stroke than breast cancer in the UK.

Stroke Prevention

A stroke is an emergency. If you see the signs of a stroke act quickly and call 999. Early treatment saves lives and increases the chance of making a better recovery.

Eating healthily, taking more exercise, not smoking and ensuring blood pressure is normal, all help to prevent a stroke.

Click here for more information and advice on stroke prevention.

NICHS Stroke Services

Northern Ireland Chest, Heart & Stroke are working at the heart of the community to alleviate the suffering resulting from stroke. We offer a range of services to stroke clients and their families in order to provide support and help those affected.

Click here for more information on the services offered by NICHS.

Research

NICHS supports and promotes research carried out in Northern Ireland into chest, heart & stroke-related illnesses. The results of research provide doctors, nurses and other health professionals with the evidence needed to convince local policy makers to both improve prevention methods and clinical services for local patients.

Click here for some examples of research that has been funded by NICHS into stroke-related illnesses.