Why is secondary prevention important?
About a third of people having a stroke or TIA today will have a further stroke within 5 years. ‘From the moment a person has an acute cerebrovascular event (of any sort), that person is at an increased risk of further events. The risk is substantial, being between 30% and 43% for recurrent stroke over the next five years’ (Mant et al. 2004).
‘It is also vital that attention to secondary prevention should be continued throughout the recovery and rehabilitation phase and for the rest of the person’s life’ (ISWP, 2012, p61).
Most deaths more than 6 months after the original stroke are due to another cause – mostly recurrent stroke and cardiovascular disease. By 3-5 years, the majority of deaths are due to cardiovascular disease.
Secondary prevention for stroke and cardiovascular disease are similar – so by introducing measures to reduce recurrent stroke we will also reduce cardiovascular events.
