Approximately, 15 million people worldwide have suffered from stroke every year. In India, stroke has emerged as the leading cause of long-term disability and death and at 1.7 million per year has already reached epidemic proportions. According to the World stroke Organization, every 1 in 4 individuals is at a risk of developing this deadly disease.
Understanding stroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted through either a blocked blood vessel (ischemic stroke) or a ruptured or burst blood vessel (hemorrhagic stroke) in the brain. 85% cases of stroke are ischemic in nature. A stroke can lead to loss of brain or bodily function or even death, depending on its severity and the part of the brain affected. Motor function, speech and memory are examples of bodily functions that may get impacted.
Stroke is a painless disorder. As there are no dire signs as opposed to a heart attack, it is difficult to notice and understand the emergency of stroke. Brain is an unforgiving organ and cannot regenerate itself unlike other organs such as kidneys, liver etc. A stroke can cause a person to lose nearly 2 million neurons every minute.
Lack of awareness – A challenge
Despite the vast number, stroke cases in India still go un-reported. Majority of stroke cases are not reported due to lack of cognizance about stroke or on the treatable options. Stroke in young population has become very common these days, especially in the age group of 30-40 years. As India becomes the capital of Non-Communicable Diseases with improper dietary habits, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and obesity, there continues to be a surge in stroke cases as well. These lifestyle-based risk factors are very commonly observed in metro cities.
It is critical for a person to reach a stroke-ready hospital within 6 hours of the incident. Unfortunately, only 1% patients reach within this “golden period”. The rest do not reach on time rendering their case untreatable. Patients are taken to the local nursing homes where there is no CT Scan and Neurological facility available and lose time in detection of the condition rather than initiating treatment which is quite crucial.
Dr. Vikram Huded, Head of Interventional Neurology and Stroke, NH Institute of Neurosciences, Bangalore said,“Stroke in young population has become very common these days. People between the age group of 30-40 years are affected. With advanced technology, treatments like mechanical thrombectomy (stent retrievers with which large blood vessels can be opened) have proven to be beneficial for treating stroke up to 24 hours after the recent clinical trials. I strongly recommend individuals with risk factors for stroke like smoking, diabetes and hypertension to undergo carotid doppler tests during their regular health check-ups.”
The current technological advancements in medicine enable doctors to potentially reverse the paralytic condition occurred due to Ischemic stroke. Advancements such as mechanical thrombectomy (stent retrievers with which large vessels can be opened) has been a boon for stroke treatment. They have proven to be beneficial for treating stroke up to 24 hours after onset of symptoms as reported in recent clinical trials. The way forward is to streamline pre-hospital management by training of first responders and ambulance service providers on recognizing the signs of stroke and reduce treatment delay by ensuring these providers take the patients to the right hospital (stroke ready) in time. It is crucial for every individual to be aware of stroke ready hospitals in your vicinity and reach within the golden hour. This helps avoid a delay in treatment and a team of doctors can confirm stroke and initiate treatment.
With recent advances in medicine and technology, Stroke can be managed effectively with adherence to treatment and lifestyle changes.
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