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Data from the Barbados National Registry has revealed that strokes continue to place an increasing burden on the island’s healthcare system, with cases rising significantly over the past decade.
The issue has been highlighted on Sunday as Barbados joined the rest of the world in observing World Hypertension Day.
According to 2023 statistics, the registry recorded 624 strokes during the year, evenly divided between men and women, with 312 cases each.
Stroke admissions also remained consistently above the five-year average.
The report noted that stroke rates in Barbados have climbed sharply over the last 10 years, reaching levels approximately 60 per cent higher than those recorded at the beginning of the decade.
The data further highlighted that more than half of the strokes recorded among men affected persons under the age of 70, while approximately 40 per cent of cases among women involved persons below that age.
