Subarachnoid Bleed One of the Most Common Cardiovascular, Neurologic Causes of Death
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 3, 2025 -- Nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) remains one of the most common cardiovascular and neurological causes of death and disabilities in the world, according to a study published online May 23 in JAMA Neurology to coincide with the annual European Stroke Organisation Conference, held from May 21 to 23 in Helsinki.
Ilari Rautalin, Ph.D., from Helsinki University Hospital, and colleagues estimated the worldwide burden of SAH from 1990 to 2021 in a cross-sectional study using data from the Global Burden of Disease 2021 study.
The researchers found that per 100,000 people, the global age-standardized SAH incidence was 8.3, prevalence was 92.2, mortality was 4.2, and the disability-adjusted life-years (DALY) rate was 125.2 in 2021. Latin America, the Caribbean, Oceania, and high-income Asia Pacific had the highest burden estimates. All age-standardized burden rates decreased between 1990 and 2021, although the absolute number of SAH cases increased. Incidence decreased by 28.8 percent, prevalence by 16.1 percent, mortality by 56.1 percent, and DALY rate by 54.6 percent. SAH was ranked as the 36th most common cause of death among 300 diseases and the 59th most common cause of DALY in the world. Overall, 71.6 percent of all worldwide SAH-related DALYs were associated with the 14 modeled risk factors, of which high systolic blood pressure and smoking had the highest attribution (population attributable fractions, 51.6 and 14.4 percent, respectively).
"Despite decreasing age-standardized burden rates, SAH remains one of the most common cardiovascular and neurological causes of death and disability globally with constantly increasing absolute case numbers," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to relevant organizations and industries.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted June 2025
Read this next
Random Forest AI Model Superior for Inpatient Mortality Prognostication in Cirrhosis
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- For inpatients with cirrhosis, a machine learning (ML) model using random forest (RF) analysis is superior for prediction of inpatient mortality...
Inflammation and Nutrition-Based Scores Tied to Prognosis of Low-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- The Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI) and systemic oxidative stress (SOS) score are independently associated with poorer prognosis of low-risk...
Few School Principals Report District-Mandated Mental Health Screening
THURSDAY, July 24, 2025 -- Few school principals report district-mandated mental health screening in schools, according to a study published online July 18 in JAMA Network...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.