Doctors spoke about the perils of stroke and its underlying factors at an awareness programme organised by the Department of Neurology of Government General Hospital-Guntur on Friday to mark World Stroke Day, which is observed across the world on October 29.
“Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide, with an annual mortality rate of 5.5 million. Not only does the burden of stroke lie in the high mortality but also high morbidity resulting in 50% of survivors being chronically disabled. This stroke is a disease of immense public health importance with serious economic and social consequences, doctors said.
Professor and HoD (Neurology) N.V Sundarachari said that stroke is preventable. “Regular monitoring of one’s weight and Body Mass Index, regular physical activity, targeted BP control of 140/90, having LDL cholesterol between 70-100 mg/dl, monitoring diabetes and avoiding smoking and consumption of alcohol will help reduce the risk of stroke,” Dr. Sundarachari said.
“Stroke is rapidly developing clinical signs of focal (or global) disturbances of cerebral functions, with symptoms lasting 24 hours or longer or leading to death with no apparent cause other than of vascular origin,” Dr. Sundarachari added.
Stroke can be classified into two major categories — ischemic (80%) and haemorrhagic (20%) — Dr. Sundarachari said. “Ischemic stroke is caused due to interruption of blood supply to part of the brain resulting in in sudden loss of function, while haemorrhagic stroke is due to rupture of blood vessels or abnormal vascular structure,” he added.
Risk factors include hypertension, diabetes mellitus, high blood cholesterol, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and alcohol consumption and other cardiac diseases.
Warning signs include face drooping, arm weakness, and speech difficulty. People experiencing these signs should immediately call 108 in order to go to the nearest hospital within the golden hour. The other signs include sudden loss of vision, dizziness, severe headache and trouble walking.
People who experience these symptoms should rush to the nearest hospital immediately. The GGH has a specialised 12-bedded stroke unit and on an average, there are 75 in-patient admissions in the stroke unit with a mortality of 10 per month. GGH-Guntur has an intravenous thrombolysis facility for patients who present to our hospital in a window period of 4-5 hours, Dr. Sundarachari said.
Minister attends event
Minister for Housing Ch. Ranganatha Raju took part in a World Stroke Day event organised at Red Cross, Guntur on Friday. The Minister said that every person should test their blood pressure at least once a month and maintain an active lifestyle in order to keep stroke at bay.
The programme was organised by Red Cross, Indian Stroke Association and Indian Medical Association. The Indian Stroke Association conducts 200 tests every month.
