South London Study Finds Stroke Rates Rising Again With Deepening Ethnic Gaps

Overview

• The South London Stroke Register presented new 30-year data at ESOC 2026 that show stroke incidence rose 13% in 2020–2024 after a long period of decline.
• In the most recent period, stroke risk was more than double for Black African and Black Caribbean people versus White people, with incidence rate ratios of 2.31 and 2.00.
• Black African and Black Caribbean groups had much higher burdens of high blood pressure and diabetes, and Black African people experienced stroke about 10–12 years earlier on average.
• Gaps around care were clear, with 12% of Black African patients having no diagnosed risk factors before stroke and Black African survivors facing 34% lower odds of timely follow-up.
• Inequalities were largest for bleeding in the brain, known as intracerebral haemorrhage, which tracks with uncontrolled blood pressure, and researchers urged targeted prevention and stronger primary care outreach.