Hong Kong – World Stroke Day heightens public vigilance against stroke

     ​The Department of Health (DH) today (October 29) urged members of the public to take positive steps and lead a healthy lifestyle to prevent stroke. This appeal was made in support of World Stroke Day, held on October 29 every year, to increase awareness and drive action on stroke around the world.
      
     “Stroke is a major cause of morbidity and death. Globally, over 12 million people have strokes each year. In Hong Kong, stroke was the fifth commonest cause of death with 3,057* registered deaths in 2022,” a spokesman for the DH said.
      
     According to an international study, up to 90 per cent of strokes worldwide were collectively attributed to 10 risk factors, including smoking, alcohol consumption, physical inactivity, unhealthy eating habits, psychosocial factors, abdominal obesity, hypertension, blood lipid disorder, diabetes and cardiac causes.
      
     Locally, such modifiable risk factors of stroke are also common. The Thematic Household Survey conducted in 2021 reported that 9.5 per cent of persons aged 15 and above had a habit of daily cigarette smoking. The DH’s Population Health Survey 2020-22 also observed that 8.7 per cent of persons aged 15 or above drank at least once a week. Regarding physical activity participation, 24.8 per cent of persons aged 18 or above performed an insufficient level of physical activities. Furthermore, 83.9 per cent of the population aged 15 to 84 had excessive salt intake; 54.6 per cent were overweight or obese by body mass index and 37.8 per cent were centrally obese by waist measurement; 29.5 per cent had hypertension; 8.5 per cent had diabetes; and 51.9 per cent had hypercholesterolaemia.
      
     The spokesman advised that stroke risk can be reduced by adhering to a healthy lifestyle. Members of the public are advised to eat a balanced diet and limit the consumption of fat, salt and sugar; engage in at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity (such as brisk walking) or equivalent amounts of physical activity throughout the week; avoid smoking; and refrain from alcohol consumption.
      
     The DH has been sparing no effort in increasing the population’s participation in physical activity. In particular, the 10,000 Steps a Day campaign has been launched to encourage adults to gradually increase their daily step goal to 10 000 based on their own physical conditions, abilities, pace and individual circumstances. The campaign will enter its second phase this year, and a walking challenge with the slogan of “Walk Together for Health and Happiness” will be launched next month. For details, please refer to www.10000stepsaday.hk/?lang=en.
      
     To further reduce the risk of having a stroke, the spokesman reminded members of the public to regularly check for “triple H” conditions (high blood pressure, high blood glucose and high blood lipids) with early intervention if indicated. Members of the public can consult doctors about the said screenings.
      
     The DH will continue to step up efforts in increasing people’s health literacy, enhancing public awareness about the importance of healthy living in stroke prevention, working in close partnership with other government bureaux and departments as well as community partners to build a health-enhancing environment.
      
     For more information about the Government’s initiatives and actions to prevent and control non-communicable diseases including stroke, please visit the thematic website at www.change4health.gov.hk/en/saptowards2025/.
 
*Provisional Figure