Every year, 12.2 million people worldwide suffer a stroke, which equates to one every three seconds.
This figure highlights the devastating impact of a condition that has become one of the leading global neurological emergencies, causing over 6.5 million deaths and leaving one third of survivors with permanent disability.
On 29th October, World Stroke Day, promoted by the World Stroke Organisation, the scientific community renews its commitment to raising awareness among citizens and institutions about the importance of prevention and early symptom recognition. We talked to Marta Iacobucci, Professor of Neuroradiology at UniCamillus, who shared her expertise in stroke prevention, early diagnosis, and endovascular treatment.
Iacobucci: “Stroke is the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death worldwide”
“Stroke is now one of the leading causes of death and disability across high-, middle-, and low-income countries,” explains Marta Iacobucci. “According to the latest global estimates, it is the primary cause of disability in adults and the second leading cause of death worldwide.
Each year, approximately 12.2 million new cases of stroke are recorded, resulting in more than 6.5 million deaths. About one in three survivors develops permanent disabilities that compromise their independence in daily life.”
The expert highlights that there are two main types of stroke: “Ischaemic stroke, which accounts for around 85% of cases, is caused by a blocked cerebral artery, typically due to thrombosis or embolism, and haemorrhagic stroke, which makes up the remaining 15%, is caused by a ruptured cerebral vessel, often linked to uncontrolled high blood pressure or vascular malformations”.
In the event of a stroke, every second counts, as the impact on the brain is extremely severe.
“Just consider that during an ischaemic stroke, approximately 2 million brain cells die every minute” warns Iacobucci. She adds that the extent of brain damage depends on several factors:
“The duration of the ischaemia or haemorrhage, the area of the brain affected, and above all, the timeliness of treatment. The effectiveness of acute therapies—such as intravenous thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy—is closely tied to how quickly intervention occurs”.
Early recognition of symptoms
“For this reason, rapid recognition of symptoms is crucial”, Iacobucci continues.
“The acronym FAST is very useful in this regard”, she explains, “as its letters help us quickly identify the four most common signs of stroke. ‘F’ for Face suggests observing a person’s face to see if it appears asymmetrical or shows visible paralysis. ‘A’ for Arms indicates checking whether one of the limbs is weaker or unable to lift, which could be a warning sign. ‘S’ stands for Speech, as difficulty speaking may be a sign of stroke. ‘T’ stands for Time, reminding us that promptness is essential: if these signs are noticed, immediate action must be taken and emergency services should be called (in Italy, dial 112)”.
The importance of prevention
“Unfortunately, 25% of strokes affect people under the age of 60, and the age at which individuals are at risk is steadily decreasing, partly due to hectic and unhealthy lifestyles”, the expert points out, emphasising that most of these events are preventable. “About 80–90% of cases could be avoided through proper management of modifiable risk factors, including high blood pressure, untreated atrial fibrillation, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, smoking, obesity, a sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet”.
What does this mean for everyday life? “Preventing a stroke is not just about occasional medical check-ups, but also about daily choices”, explains the neuroradiologist. “Adopting a healthy lifestyle means taking care of your diet by favouring fruit, vegetables, whole grains and fish, and limiting salt and saturated fats. It also means maintaining regular physical activity—even just walking every day—and avoiding smoking. You should also periodically monitor your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, and pay attention to your body weight. All these small gestures, taken together, significantly reduce the risk of stroke”.
Iacobucci concludes that prevention “requires integrated strategies at both the individual and public health levels, with growing attention also to secondary prevention in high-risk individuals”.
The role of universities and the scientific community
Medical universities play a central role in training professionals equipped to address the diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative complexities of stroke. In addition, clinical and translational research contributes to the development of innovative therapies and increasingly early and sensitive diagnostic tools, such as advanced neuroradiology and artificial intelligence techniques applied to brain imaging.
UniCamillus is committed to fighting stroke
On World Stroke Day, UniCamillus reaffirms its commitment to specialist training in neurology and neuroradiology, and to the promotion of interdisciplinary research and scientific outreach aimed at both students and the general public.