Stroke deaths in Sweden have fallen by 55 percent

Stroke mortality in Sweden has more than halved since the start of the 2000s, SVT reports. Both the number of people suffering strokes and the number dying from them have fallen by about half.

More than 3,300 fewer people die from stroke each year than they did 20 years ago.

“This is a fantastic development. It is one of the greatest advances we have seen in medicine for many years,” said Bo Norrving, a professor of neurology.

Improved medicines and emergency treatment

Better treatment of high blood fat levels and high blood pressure, along with improved detection and treatment of atrial fibrillation, are among the reasons fewer people suffer and die from strokes.

Emergency care has also improved. Around the turn of the millennium, healthcare providers began using thrombolysis, in which clot-dissolving medication is given directly into the bloodstream. More than 10 years ago, thrombectomy was also introduced on a broad scale. The procedure removes blood clots using thin catheters.

“This can have a dramatic effect. Both treatments are time-critical and are more effective the earlier they are given,” said Mia von Euler, a senior physician and professor at Sophiahemmet University College.

More patients receive specialist care

Another factor is specialised stroke-unit care. Today, 87 percent of all stroke patients are admitted directly to wards specialising in stroke treatment.

Most people who suffer strokes are aged 70 or older, but younger people and children can also be affected. One cause is a dissection in the wall of the arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain, said Kristina Sparreljung, secretary-general of the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation.

Other causes among younger people include smoking, blood-clotting disorders, changes in the heart, strokes associated with pregnancy and childbirth, hereditary forms of stroke, and blood clots in the brain’s veins.

Sparreljung urged people to learn to recognise the symptoms of a stroke and know when to seek care.

“People with a suspected stroke should be taken to hospital quickly for diagnosis and, when appropriate, clot-dissolving treatment. Every minute is important,” she said.

Stroke in Sweden

Stroke is a collective term for diseases caused by a blood clot or bleeding in the brain. It causes a lack of oxygen in the brain, leading to the sudden loss of abilities such as speech, movement, sensation and vision. Stroke can be life-threatening and requires immediate hospital care.

About 26,000 strokes were recorded in 2024. At the beginning of the 2000s, Sweden recorded an average of 151 stroke deaths per 100,000 inhabitants each year. That figure has now fallen to about 68, a reduction of 55 percent.

Sources cited by SVT were the National Board of Health and Welfare, the Swedish Heart-Lung Foundation and 1177.