Strokes in European countries and the best practices for their management

In modern society the non-communicable diseases, including stroke, constitute the main cause of death and one of the leading causes of residual disability in the population. The number of strokes is on the rise, necessitating effective management. A literature review of articles was conducted on electronic databases such as PubMed and Google Scholar, as well as in books and electronic websites using keywords. According to these sources, the assessment of the population burden from strokes is carried out through health indicators, tools that contribute to the objective comparison to different countries, with the aim of highlighting the need for improvements at national level. At the European level and after comparing Greece to four other countries, namely Germany, Sweden, Romania and Bulgaria, it is observed that there are differences among the countries of Eastern and Western Europe. Overall in Europe a further increase in the number of strokes is expected in the coming years. The development of stroke management practices is therefore considered significant, both in prevention and at pre-hospital, hospital and post-hospital levels. Greece, facing the additional problem of citizen’s inequality in accessing specialized health services due to its geographical morphology, should develop such practices. With the passing of the law for Units of Increased Care in November 2023 a first step is taken in this direction. However, this specific law does not include actions in the field of stroke prevention, pre-hospital treatment and post-hospital rehabilitation, areas that require improvement in the future.

Keywords: health indicators, stroke, stroke units, best management practices