Bulgaria is one of the countries in the world with the highest level of brain stroke mortality - 270.1 for men and 265.1 for women per 100,000 population. About 82,398 cases of cerebrovascular diseases are registered in the country annually. 

Of these, 35,311 cases are strokes, with 7,175 ending in death, and 10% of the survivors remain severely disabled, Rosen Kalpachki, head of the Neurology Department at St. Anna Hospital in Sofia, told BNR's Hristo Botev on the occasion of World Stroke Day - October 29.

"Regarding brain strokes, Bulgaria is a record holder in the last two decades. There is no country in the world where the incidence and mortality from stroke are higher. The reasons are complex. It is possible that there is some genetic predisposition of the population. In my opinion, the main reason is that we are quite negligent in terms of lifestyle and prevention," D-r Rosen Kalpachki said.