CHARLESTON, S.C., May 27 (UPI) -- U.S. healthcare costs to treat stroke are forecast to more than double and the number of people having strokes may increase 20 percent by 2030, researchers say.
A statement, published in the journal Stroke, cited the aging U.S. population as the main reason for the projected increase in stroke.
Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele, a professor at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, said almost 4 percent of U.S. adults -- nearly one in 25 -- will have a stroke.
Ovbiagele said caring for stroke survivors is expensive because stroke can cause long-term disability. The article also said:
-- Costs to treat stroke might increase from $71.55 billion in 2010 to $183.13 billion in 2030.
-- Annual costs due to lost productivity could rise from $33.65 billion to $56.54 billion.
-- Americans currently ages 45-64 are expected to have the highest increase in stroke at 5.1 percent.
-- Stroke prevalence is projected to increase the most among Hispanic men between now and 2030, and the cost of treating stroke in Hispanic women is expected to triple.
"Strokes will absolutely strain the healthcare system," Ovbiagele said. "Ninety percent of stroke patients have residual disability and only 10 percent recover completely after a stroke."
