Stroke patients in Korea show more history of smoking, diabetes: report

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Diabetes and smoking are common causes of strokes, which can damage blood vessels and cause death, and stroke patients in South Korea have a higher rate of both stroke factors compared to Western countries, a study showed Monday, suggesting a need to strengthen prevention efforts to improve public health outcomes.

According to an analysis of stroke treatment patterns in the country for 2021 by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health, 35 percent of stroke patients here had diabetes. The corresponding figure was between 23 and 28 percent for Sweden, the United Kingdom and Japan, while it was 36 percent for the United States.

Similarly, some 21 percent of stroke patients in Korea were smokers, while the figure was 19 percent in the US and 13 percent in Sweden.

The findings were based on data from 17 medical institutions that are part of the stroke cohort.

The research was published to mark World Stroke Day, which falls on October 29. The observance aims to raise awareness and highlight the importance of stroke prevention, as well as the benefits of timely access to emergency care.

Meanwhile, the data also showed that men were more prone to stroke, while women suffered from the illness much later in life than men. According to the data, 59.8 percent of stroke patients were men. The average age of male and female stroke patients was 67 and 73, respectively.

The KDCA pointed out that diabetes and smoking rates among stroke patients are much higher in Korea, adding that further efforts are needed to reduce the prevalence of these factors.

However, the KDCA noted that there has been no progress in the treatment rate for stroke patients. Health authorities said the rate of vascular recanalization treatment -- a treatment to fix blood flow -- has steadily increased until 2016 but has remained stagnant since then.

In addition, the rate of reperfusion therapy within 90 minutes of stroke onset declined from 35.4 percent from 2017 to 2019 to 30.7 percent in 2021, indicating that fewer patients are receiving timely treatment.

Emphasizing that stroke is a "very serious disease" that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment, Jee Young-mee, the KDCA chief, noted that it is crucial to recognize warning signs of a stroke in advance.

"We hope to raise awareness through World Stroke Day and enable people to reflect on the importance of diagnosing, treating and preventing stroke," Jee said.