In our epidemiologic prospective „spider study“, from March 1 st 1996 till the end of February 1997 we have detected 370 stroke patients from a population sample of 114,843 inhabitants of the Turiec region. Among these cases 149 suffered the first stroke, hence the stroke incidence was 131/100,000/year and the specific ischaemic stroke incidence 115/100,000/year. The total stroke prevalence at the end of the period – March 1 st 1997 was 668/100,000, specific ischaemic stroke prevalence reached 724/100,000, the stroke mortality rate in that year was 89/100,000/year, a small part of the total regional mortality rate 901/100,000/year. Morbidity of females, in age decades 60–70, 70–80 changed into polymorbidity and the male/female stroke ratio changed from the 1.65 : 1 in 1984 year to 1.09 : 1 in 1996–97. Even in the stroke group suffering from arterial hypertension the male/female ratio was 0.94 : 1 level. The significant increase of stroke in the morning (7.00–8.00 a.m.) is due to ischaemic stroke owing to physiological morning hypotension and brain perfusion.

        Key words: epidemiologic study, incidence, prevalence, fatality, mortality, stroke, necrosis, apoptosis