27 April 2005 

There has been a lack of stroke prevalence data among mixed Asian population and Singapore is no different. In view of the growing aged population, and the projected two-fold increase in Singaporeans having a stroke over the next 20 years, the National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) in 2001 conducted the largest community-based, tri-racial, cross sectional study on the prevalence of stroke among 14,906 Chinese, Malay and Indian Singaporeans, above the age of 50 years.

In this study, participants were selected by disproportionate stratified random sampling by race. Trained interviewers performed face-to-face interviews with subjects using the World Health Organization screening protocol for neurological diseases. Data were also collected on a self-report of stroke. Participants who were suspected to have had a stroke underwent a free clinical evaluation to diagnose or exclude stroke.

Among the participants:
- 6,734 were men while 8,172 were women, with ages between 52 and 106 years.
- Chinese: Malay: Indian ratio was 3:1:1.
- Participation rate was 66.9%.
- Of the 14,906 participants, 606 were diagnosed to have a stroke, yielding a crude prevalence rate of 4.05%.
- Prevalence rose with age and were higher among men (4.53%) than women (2.91%).
- Age and gender-standardized rates among Chinese, Malays and Indians were 3.76%, 3.32% and 3.62% respectively.
- Prevalence was highest among Chinese men at 4.78% and lowest among Malay women at 2.81%.

Each year, about 10,000 Singaporeans are admitted into hospitals for strokes and transient ischaemic attacks, making stroke the 4th leading cause of death, 4th leading cause of hospital admissions and the leading cause of adult neurological disability. The risk of having a stroke rises with age and presence of risk factors.

The NNI’s Stroke Programme is currently the largest and most comprehensive patient-based clinical programme within the Institute. Patients under this programme are managed by a highly skilled multidisciplinary Stroke Team, comprising doctors, nurses, therapists, dieticians, medical social workers and stroke nurses.

The National Neuroscience Institute is the national specialist centre for neurological diseases. It provides treatment for a range of illnesses that affect the brain, spine, nerve and muscle. The institute co-ordinate and provides clinical neuroscience training as well as conducts basic and clinical neuroscience research in Singapore.