Stroke: a preventable and treatable catastrophe
Stroke is a major cause of long term disabilities and premature deaths. Stroke ranks second to ischemic heart disease as a cause of death; it is also a leading cause of serious disability, sparing no age, sex, ethnic origin, or country. Experts urged to raise awareness level and early treatment to prevent the growing epidemic and lessen the disabilities due to this. If nothing is done, the predicted number of people who will die from stroke will increase to 6.7 million each year by 2015. Stroke occurs when a vessel that brings blood to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot. Stroke is associated with aging, unhealthy diets, tobacco use and physical inactivity, fuel a growing epidemic of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes, stroke, heart disease and vascular cognitive impairment. Four out of five strokes occur in low and middle income countries like Bangladesh who can least afford to deal with the consequences of stroke. Six million deaths could be averted over the next 10 years if what is already known is applied. Much can be done to prevent and treat stroke and rehabilitate those who suffer the devastating consequences of stroke. Stroke can be potentially prevented to a large extent and acute stroke is potentially treatable. Much can also be done for those who have suffered from a stroke and also for their families to help them all reduce with the long term consequences of the disease. By joining forces we can coordinate our efforts to raise awareness of stroke all around the world. We can change the future course that stroke is taking today by using and spreading our knowledge globally. In order to increase awareness of stroke and action that can be taken against it, World Stroke Day 2009 was observed on October 29. The theme: "Stroke — what can I do?" implies that everyone can do something about stroke. Individuals can learn their risk for stroke and do something about it, they can learn the symptoms of stroke and what to do about them, and they can help advance the stroke cause in many other roles: as a physician, a nurse, a healthcare professional, a patient, a caregiver, a donor, a business person, a citizen, a member of a voluntary organisation, a policymaker, a member of government etc. The theme has been developed to prompt individuals, groups and governments to take action against stroke either at a personal, or group level. * Although prevention is the most readily applicable and affordable part of our knowledge, it is largely neglected. We need to: * Encourage healthy environments to support healthy habits and lifestyles. * Use effective drugs for both primary and secondary prevention. Regretfully these drugs are neither accessible nor affordable in many developing countries, nor used optimally in developed ones. * Discourage unproven, costly, or misdirected practices, which drain resources from more cost effective approaches. * Educate health professionals at all levels through a common vocabulary, a core curriculum, on-line materials, long distance mentoring, and opportunities for learning in clinical practice settings. We need to increase awareness of the public, policymakers and health professionals about the causes and symptoms of stroke. The symptoms of stroke are painless and at times transient but sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm or leg, sudden inability to speak or understand speech, loss of vision in one eye, or sudden loss of balance are as compelling an emergency as crushing chest pain or sudden, severe unusual headache. Stroke is a preventable and treatable catastrophe, and together we can fight this growing epidemic. Individuals, groups and governments should take action now against stroke either at a personal, family, or group level.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments