The decline in U.S. stroke deaths has slowed since 2013, following more than 40 years of progress, according to the CDC's most recent Vital Signs.
To determine the burden of stroke mortality in the U.S., CDC researchers used software to identify trends in stroke death from 2000 to 2015 based on data compiled in the National Vital Statistics System.
The decline in stroke deaths slowed in 38 states from 2000 to 2015, which contributed to an overall national slowdown in the decline of stroke deaths beginning in 2013.
"These findings are a wakeup call. We've made enormous progress in reducing stroke deaths, but that progress has stalled," said Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, director of the CDC. "We know the majority of strokes are preventable, and we must improve our efforts to reduce America's stroke burden."
Among the 800,000 people who have a stroke every year, 140,000 die, even though 80 percent of strokes are preventable, according to the CDC.
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