Nearly 46 people will have a stroke every day in Scotland by 2035 (about one every 32 minutes) unless the public are better informed about causes and prevention, a charity has warned.
The Stroke Association said the number of people having a first or second stroke in Scotland is expected to increase to more than 16,500 a year by 2035.
Currently, 30 people have a stroke every day in Scotland, one every 49 minutes.
Nine in ten strokes are preventable and one of the biggest causes, responsible for around half of all strokes, is high blood pressure.
On Stroke Prevention Day (29 January), the charity urged the public to help protect themselves by monitoring their blood pressure regularly and taking steps to keep it at a healthy level, including eating a healthy diet, not smoking or vaping, getting regular exercise, and not drinking excessive amounts of alcohol.
Stroke is the third biggest cause of death in Scotland and the leading cause of complex adult disability, which can leave survivors unable to see, speak, move or even swallow.
John Watson, associate director for the Stroke Association in Scotland, said: “Whilst we welcome news of a marginal drop in stroke incidence and the death of stroke patients this past year, too many people in Scotland are still having their lives ruined by this condition.
“The cost of stroke to Scotland is immense, whether it’s to the health and social care system responding to the complex needs of stroke survivors, or in the loss of people’s quality of life and livelihood.
“For Stroke Prevention Day we are asking all adults to check their blood pressure regularly and find out the causes of high blood pressure, so they can make informed decisions about their health.
“There’s a real lack of awareness of how smoking, poor diet, drinking too much alcohol and not getting regular exercise causes high blood pressure and can store up problems for later life.”
High blood pressure often has no symptoms.
All adults should have their blood pressure checked at least every five years. Anyone who has been diagnosed with high blood pressure should check it regularly and speak to their GP for advice.
Scottish Health Survey data show that risk factors for stroke in adults are showing little sign of abating.
A third of adults (31 per cent) were obese in 2024, while just over one in ten adults (11 per cent) ate five or more portions of fruit and vegetables per day, the lowest recorded since the survey began in 2003.
Around six in ten adults met the guidelines for moderate or vigorous physical activity (62 per cent), while 14 per cent of adults were current smokers.
Twenty per cent of adults were drinking alcohol at hazardous or harmful levels.
