Temporal Trends of Stroke Epidemiology in Southern Sweden : A Population-Based Study on Stroke Incidence and Early Case-Fatality

Background: Up-to-date epidemiological stroke studies are important for healthcare planning and evaluating prevention strategies. This population-based study investigates temporal trends in stroke incidence and case-fatality in southern Sweden. Methods: First-ever stroke cases in the local catchment area of Skåne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, between March, 2015 and February, 2016, were included from several sources, including 2 prospective hospital-based registers, retrospective screening of primary care visits, and autopsy registers. Stroke incidence and 28-day case-fatality rates were compared with data from this area obtained through similar methodology between March, 2001 and February, 2002. Results: Altogether, 456 and 413 first-ever stroke patients were identified during the earlier and later time periods respectively. The age- and sex-standardized stroke incidence rates decreased from 246 (95% CI 224–270) to 165 (95% CI 149–182) per 100,000 people. However, incidence remained unaltered among those