BEIJING - China is stepping up efforts to improve its system of stroke treatment centers, said the National Health Commission (NHC).

The efforts include building a multi-level medical care system and putting guidelines for fast stroke-specific care in place to ensure patients get effective treatment within the "golden hour."

As of May 2018, there were 156 stroke treatment centers across the country, and 86 were being built, according to the 2018 Report on Stroke Prevention and Treatment in China released by the stroke prevention committee of the NHC.

The report says that strokes, which occur when a vessel in the brain ruptures or is blocked by a blood clot, are the most common cause for disabilities and deaths among Chinese adults.

From 2005 to 2016, the number of people under 70 who were struck by strokes constantly increased, it said.

Unhealthy lifestyles as shown in smoking, drinking, staying up late and the lack of exercise are to blame for the rising incidence rate, experts said.

Apart from raising people's awareness of stroke prevention and first aid, experts suggest individuals maintain a healthy lifestyle and seek for timely medical care upon symptom onset.