Burden of stroke in China: A decomposition analysis investigating the driven factors

The escalating stroke burden in China is primarily driven by population aging, followed by population growth, creating a paradox where healthcare improvements are offset demographically. The epidemic is increasingly characterized by ischemic stroke, leading to a growing population of survivors requiring long-term care. This necessitates a paradigm shift in health policy from a focus solely on reducing acute mortality towards building cost-effective, integrated systems for lifelong stroke management, chronic care, and secondary prevention tailored for an aging society.