Stroke victims at highest death risk About 150,000 people in Britain have a stroke each year, while it causes about 53,000 deaths annually. Many do not recognise the symptoms, especially with "mini-strokes," technically called transient ischemic attacks (TIAs). However, a sixth of those who have a stroke die within a month, and half of the survivors are left dependent on others for support. It is Britain's third-biggest killer after heart disease and cancer, but has a far lower profile. Despite rising numbers of older people - who are more susceptible to stroke - there has been a four per cent fall in emergency admissions for the condition since 2000-01, to 64,300. Dr Sharing Ahmed, the research liaison officer at the Stroke Association, said that "great strides" had been made in stroke care in recent years. We're for life after stroke and, as this research shows, we see more people surviving strokes each year. But he added: "We are concerned about adequate support being in place to help stroke survivors after they have left hospital and are reintegrating into the community." The figures also show that emergency hospital admissions for heart attacks have dropped by more than a quarter in England, from 42,400 to 30,600. The new statistics follow a study published in the British Medical Journal last month, which showed that deaths from heart attacks have halved since 2002, due to healthier lives and better treatment. Simon Burns, the Health Minister, said of the new figures: "These improvements reflect the dedication of NHS staff working to improve services and support their patients. Treatment for heart attack, stroke and falls and fractures are improving all the time, but we know further progress can still be made. Patients should be getting the right care first time and that is why we are developing strategies to tackle cardiovascular disease and strokes.