Strokes cost Australian economy $5b a year: study

A national study into strokes has revealed the disease is costing the country billions in lost productivity and wages every year.

South Australia and Tasmania were found to be the worst affected states in the study commissioned by the Stroke Foundation.

The Deloitte Access Economics study estimated that in 2014 there would be 256 strokes in South Australia for every 100,000 people, while in Tasmania there would be 246.

This compares with a national rate of 217.

The report found nationally that 51,000 strokes were suffered every year – which equated to almost 1,000 per week.

When the country was examined by federal electorate, Hindmarsh in South Australia had the highest number of stroke deaths, with 86 per 100,000 people.

Almost 440,000 Australians now live with the effects of stroke – a figure the report predicted would reach 700,000 by 2032.

The report also found that 11,418 people would die from a stroke in 2014 in Australia, and two-thirds of those who survived would be disabled.

Strokes place demands on health system, families, community

Jonine Collins from the Stroke Foundation said strokes cost the national economy $5 billion annually, including $3 billion in lost productivity and $1 billion in lost wages.

“This is a huge cost to our health system and to our community,” she said.

“People need to have the acute care. Then they need to have rehab and then when they come home many people are unable to return to work.”

Ms Collins said the report, which was released in Canberra this morning, would be vital in ensuring governments can plan for future needs.

“What we do know is that stroke is a devastating disease that places significant demands on our health system, families, and the community,” she said.

“We hope this report will inform government and help them to deliver the services and programs and the planning of the coordination if these programs that needs to exist in our community.”

Higher risk factors in Tas, SA

The report found that many Australians were living with health concerns that significantly raised their risk of having a stroke, including high blood pressure (17 per cent of the population), atrial fibrillation (2 per cent) , high cholesterol (26 per cent) and physical inactivity (45 per cent).

Tasmania and South Australia had the greatest risk across all factors.

In both states, 27 per cent of the population had high cholesterol, 19 per cent had high blood pressure and almost half were physically inactive.