This category includes deaths from stroke and other diseases relating to problems affecting the blood vessels that supply the brain.

See also Map 84 Heart attack and chronic heart disease, Map 89 Aortic aneurysm and Map 108 Atherosclerosis.

With the odd geographical exception, as you travel south and east from the west coast of Scotland down to the Sussex beaches, rates of death from this cause fall. The odd exceptions include the more affluent suburbs of Newcastle and similarly favoured places in Yorkshire; conversely some of the less economically favoured spots within Bradford, Manchester, Bolton, Birmingham and Nottingham have higher rates than the surrounding areas. This map reveals threefold variations in mortality rates from the disease across a very smoothly changing national gradient.

This category accounts for more than 10% of all deaths, with 62% of those being of females.

A ‘stroke’ occurs when there is a loss of brain function due to a disturbance in the supply of blood to the brain. It can result in a range of problems such as difficulty walking, balance problems, speech problems and confusion. Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, heavy alcohol consumption and obesity.