One person suffers a stroke every 3 seconds.

This information was provided by Associate Professor Nguyen Van Chi, Honorary President of the Hanoi Stroke Association, at the 2024 International Stroke Conference organized by the Hanoi Stroke Association in collaboration with Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) on November 9th.

Many people show no unusual symptoms before going to bed, but overnight they fall into a coma or die from a stroke. (Illustrative image)

Stroke is affecting younger and younger people.

According to Dr. Chi, deaths from stroke are surpassing those from cancer, and are increasingly affecting younger people. Many people go to sleep looking healthy but wake up the next morning in a deep coma or die overnight. A significant percentage of these cases are related to stroke.

Professor Nguyen Van Chi shared his thoughts on the sidelines of the conference. (Photo: The Anh)

Stroke is currently one of the leading causes of death and disability globally, posing a major challenge to the healthcare systems of many countries, especially developing countries like Vietnam.

Each year, there are more than 12.2 million new cases worldwide , meaning an average of one stroke occurs every 3 seconds, and 6.5 million deaths annually, with over 6% of these deaths happening to young people.

In Vietnam, more than 200,000 stroke cases are recorded each year, and this alarming number is increasing. The rate of stroke patients arriving at the hospital beyond the critical "golden hour" remains high, increasing the risk of death and significant long-term consequences.

Dr. Chi stated that thanks to awareness campaigns, the rate of people seeking emergency care for stroke within the golden hour has increased. Therefore, the number of patients receiving high-tech interventions such as thrombectomy and reperfusion therapy has also increased, but this disease remains a significant mortality burden.

Associate Professor Mai Duy Ton, Director of the Stroke Center at Bach Mai Hospital, stated that at the center, approximately 60% of patients are saved and subsequently return to normal work, 30% experience sequelae, and 10% die. To reduce sequelae and mortality, Vietnam needs to strengthen public awareness campaigns about stroke, early warning signs, and ensuring patients receive emergency care within the "golden hour."

Furthermore, the stroke emergency system needs to be expanded and given higher priority. According to Dr. Ton, currently very few localities have stroke centers or departments in provincial hospitals, or stroke units in district-level hospitals. If specialized stroke treatment units are established, patients will receive better care, rehabilitation, and prevention of recurrence.

Steps to prevent stroke

Associate Professor Chi affirmed that stroke is dangerous but entirely preventable. Risk factors for stroke include high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, heart abnormalities, valvular heart disease, obesity, overweight, and diabetes. To prevent stroke, people with these conditions need to manage their condition well and bring their blood pressure and blood sugar levels to safe levels.

For example, people with high blood pressure need routine treatment to keep their blood pressure below 140-85 mmHg. If you have dyslipidemia, control bad cholesterol (LDL) to below 2.6 mmol/l, or 1.8 mmol/l if there is vascular damage. In the case of diabetes, blood sugar needs to be controlled to below 7 mmol/l. By effectively controlling these risk factors, patients can avoid the risk of stroke in the future.

People should exercise daily; limit salt intake and avoid foods high in fat and cholesterol. In addition, regular health checkups are necessary to detect any of the aforementioned health problems. Blood sugar and lipid tests are inexpensive but help prevent strokes.

If any of the following symptoms appear, such as decreased vision, weakness in the limbs, slurred/difficulty speaking, headache, dizziness, etc., the patient should be taken immediately to a stroke treatment unit.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/chuyen-gia-canh-bao-cu-3-giay-co-1-nguoi-dot-quy-293162.html