Burden of Stroke in Nepal: Findings from Global Burden of Disease Dataset 2017

Background Stroke is the second leading cause of death and disability worldwide including Asian countries, surpassing ischemic heart disease. Stroke accounts for 10% of global death, of which more than three fourth occur in low- and middle-income countries. An exact estimate of the burden of stroke in Nepal is not available. Objective To assess the burden of stroke including disability and death over time in Nepal and compare it with other South Asian countries. Method We retrieved data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation's Global Burden of Diseases database of 2017 on stroke deaths, disability-adjusted life years, incidence, and prevalence rates, for both genders from Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, and India by year. We assessed the trend of deaths and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) due to stroke from 1990 to 2017; and the contribution of major risk factors to stroke burden in 2017. Result Stroke contributed 7.6% of total deaths and 3.5% of total DALYs in Nepal, with a higher burden among the male and old age population. Intracerebral hemorrhage was the dominant type of stroke in Nepal with the highest proportion of deaths and DALYs. Among the South Asian countries, incidence, prevalence, and burden of stroke were highest in Bangladesh. Intracerebral hemorrhage contributed the highest DALYs in South Asian countries. High systolic blood pressure was contributing the maximum DALYs due to stroke in Nepal. Conclusion Hemorrhagic stroke causes high mortality and DALYs in Nepal. Most of the burden of stroke is attributed to high blood pressure in Nepal.