Bandar Seri Begawan [Brunei], October 30: Stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death in Brunei, said the country's Minister of Health Haji MohdIsham in a message for World Stroke Day, which was observed globally on Sunday.
In his message, the minister said that approximately 400 new cases are recorded each year in Brunei and stroke is no longer a common disease among the elderly.
"Sixty-three percent of stroke victims are under the age of 70," said the minister.
"Globally, there are 12 million new stroke victims every year. This equates to one victim every three seconds," he said.
"The World Stroke Organization states that one in four adults over the age of 25 will suffer a stroke in their lifetime.
The minister said that over half of all strokes are associated with high blood pressure, while statistics show more than a third (35.8 percent) of adults (18-69 years old) in Brunei suffer from high blood pressure and as much as a third of them do not receive treatment.
Source: Xinhua