The burden of stroke in China: Results from a nationwide population-based epidemiological survey

Stroke is a serious threat to human health that often leads to severe complications, and currently ranks first as leading cause of death in China. However, reliable data on stroke burden in China in the 21st century are lacking. We used the data from NESS-China (National Epidemiological Survey of Stroke in China) for assessing the adverse health effects of stroke in Chinese population. We carried out inter-regional comparative study in order to obtain regular burden related characteristics of stroke in China, as measured by YLLs (years of life lost due to premature mortality), YLDs (years lived with disability) and DALYs (disability adjusted life years). Amongst the nationwide population of 596,536 individuals of all ages in 2013, the YLLs for stroke was 1748, the YLDs was 262, and the DALYs was 2010(per 100,000). The gender subtype analysis of DALYs was 2171(male) and 1848(female). The YLLs, YLDs and DALYs in rural areas were higher compared to urban areas. Among the 18 age groups, the highest YLLs was observed in ≥ 80 years old group. The impact of stroke on Chinese population is more severe compared to the global average levels. Stroke results as the main cause of YLLs in China, while there is no significant difference for the YLDs. Nevertheless, DALYs caused by stroke rank 3th in global epidemiologic study territories, 1st in China.