Stroke still strikes hard: we need more primary prevention

Although migraine is the most common neurological disease worldwide, stroke surpasses migraine—and even dementia—in terms of disability burden. Neurological conditions are the leading cause of disability adjusted life years (DALYs); that is, the number of years of healthy life we lose due to illnesses. Stroke accounts for 42% of all neurological DALYs; migraine, 16%; and dementia, 10%. Globally, there are an estimated 12 million new stroke cases each year, and 94 million people currently living have experienced a stroke.