NHS prevents thousands of strokes, thanks to lifesaving drive

Around one hundred people a month in England have avoided a stroke over the last year thanks to a lifesaving NHS rollout of blood thinning medication.

Over the last year, one million people with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) – a condition that causes an irregular and often abnormally fast heartbeat – have been prescribed anticoagulant medication (also known as blood thinners) that helps to protect them against stroke.

Around 40 strokes a day in England are thought to be related to AF but thanks to this NHS intervention, estimates show around a hundred strokes a month over the last year have been prevented.

In total, 1,200 strokes have been avoided between 2023 and 2024 and a huge 9,000 strokes prevented over the last five years.

The use of the anticoagulant medication was dramatically scaled up by staff to ensure those diagnosed with AF were on the right therapies at the right dose, thanks to a series of innovative and cost saving NHS drug deals agreed three years ago.

Evidence shows that the treatment can reduce stroke risk by two thirds as well as greatly reducing the harms caused by these types of strokes.

The NHS has also been focusing on better detection of people with undiagnosed AF through increased pulse checks and the use of mobile ECG devices to detect irregular heartbeats in community settings.

The drive comes alongside a major new NHS campaign launched last month, urging the public to call 999 immediately if anyone experiences one of the three most common symptoms of strokes including struggling to smile (Face) or raise an arm (Arms), or slurring their words (Speech).

Helen Williams, National Clinical Director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, NHS England, said: “By delivering anticoagulation treatment to the vast majority of at risk people with atrial fibrillation, we are protecting them from fatal or disabling strokes – this is fantastic news for thousands of people across the country.

“NHS teams across both primary and secondary care have supported the rapid roll out of these drugs – five years earlier than we initially set out to do – and our aim is to replicate this success for patients at risk of or living with other cardiovascular conditions.”

“That is why are also working hard to boost better detection and treatment of people with high blood pressure and drive better uptake of lipid lowering therapies like statins, which can further help to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attacks and strokes, and ultimately save many more lives.” 

The Minister of State for Health, Karin Smyth said: “Prevention is always better than cure. This treatment has already prevented thousands of people having a stroke so it’s only right we roll it out further, contributing to the government’s target of reducing premature mortality from cardiovascular diseases.”

“As part of our Plan for Change to make the NHS fit for the future, we will do even more to shift the focus from treatment to prevention, including tackling some of the leading causes of stroke like obesity and smoking.

“It’s also why we’re piloting heart health checks in workplaces and blood pressure checks in communities, so that we prevent and catch heart diseases even earlier, to treat it faster.”

Lipid lowering therapies include medicines that lower production of cholesterol such as statins, as well as other drugs that work by increasing clearance of cholesterol or lowering its absorption from the gut.

Five years ago, the NHS set the ambition to increase the number of patients who had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and were on anticoagulant medication from 84% to 90% within 10 years. The latest figures show that 92% of people who have been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation have been prescribed the potentially lifesaving treatment.