Stroke Kills One Brazilian Every Six Minutes, New Data Show

Overview

• Civil registry data report 64,471 stroke deaths from January to October 2025 and 85,457 in 2024, confirming a fatality roughly every six minutes.
• Health authorities say about 80% of cases are preventable through control of hypertension, diabetes, obesity, smoking, physical inactivity and high cholesterol.
• Specialists warn of a shifting profile as ischemic stroke incidence rose about 66% among people under 45 over the past decade, with risks heightened by smoking plus hormonal contraceptives, certain cardiac shunts and anabolic steroid use.
• Studies highlight stark inequalities, with higher lethality in the North and Northeast linked to fewer neurologists, ICU beds and imaging, while the South and Southeast report better outcomes with more specialized services.
• Time-sensitive care remains decisive, with recognition tests like SAMU and urgent calls to 192 enabling treatment within hours using thrombolytics or mechanical thrombectomy to improve survival and limit sequelae.