Stroke in Singapore--an overview

Stroke is Singapore's third leading cause of death. The number of deaths and admissions to Singapore hospitals for stroke has been rising; when standardised for age, however, mortality rates for stroke for both genders have fallen. There has been a fall in the prevalence of hypertension, smoking and hyperlipidemia in the general population, with a rise in the prevalence of diabetes mellitus. The frequency of haemorrhagic stroke is higher than among Caucasian populations. While stroke patients tend to arrive to hospital early, the level of stroke awareness among stroke patients is poor. Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation services are available. Many stroke patients are still disabled after their stroke. A national-level support group has been established. Over the years, the number of stroke victims and disabled stroke survivors will continue to rise. There is a need to persist with public education programs and risk factor screening, and to further develop hospital and community resources to meet this challenge.