The above information was announced 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 coordination with Bach Mai Hospital (Hanoi) on November 9.
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| Many people do not show any unusual symptoms before going to bed, but fall into a coma or die from a stroke overnight. (Illustration) |
Stroke is getting younger and younger
According to Dr. Chi, deaths from strokes have surpassed those from cancer and are becoming younger. Many people look healthy when they go to bed but are in a deep coma the next morning or die during the night. A significant proportion of these cases are related to strokes.
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| Professor Nguyen Van Chi shared 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 health systems of many countries, especially developing countries like Vietnam.
Every year, there are more than 12.2 million new cases worldwide , meaning that on average every 3 seconds someone has a stroke, and 6.5 million deaths each year, of which more than 6% occur in young people.
In Vietnam, more than 200,000 cases are recorded each year and this alarming number is increasing. The rate of stroke patients admitted to hospital beyond the golden time is still high, with a high risk of death and sequelae.
Doctor Chi said that thanks to propaganda activities, the rate of people coming to the emergency room for stroke during the golden hour has increased compared to before. Therefore, the number of cases treated with high-tech techniques, thrombectomy, and reperfusion has also increased, but this disease is still a burden of death.
Associate Professor Mai Duy Ton, Director of the Stroke Center, Bach Mai Hospital, said that at the center, the rate of patients who are saved is about 60% and then return to normal work, 30% have sequelae, 10% die. To reduce the sequelae and deaths, Vietnam needs to step up propaganda to the community about stroke, early recognition signs and taking patients to the emergency room during the golden hour.
In addition, the stroke emergency system needs to be expanded and prioritized. According to Dr. Ton, currently, very few localities have stroke centers and departments in provincial hospitals, or stroke units in district hospitals. If specialized stroke treatment units are built, patients will receive better care, rehabilitation, and prevention of recurrence.
Steps to prevent stroke
Associate Professor Chi affirmed that stroke is dangerous but completely preventable. Risk factors for stroke are high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation, heart disease, heart valve abnormalities, obesity, overweight, diabetes. To prevent stroke, people with the above diseases need to control well, bringing them to safe levels.
For example, people with high blood pressure need to regularly treat their blood pressure to below 140-85mmhg. If you have dyslipidemia, control bad cholesterol (LDL) to below 2.6mmol/l, if there is vascular damage, it should be at 1.8mmol/l. In case of diabetes, blood sugar should be treated to below 7mmol/l. If the above risk factors are well controlled, the patient can avoid the risk of stroke in the future.
Every day, people need to exercise; limit salty foods, foods high in fat and cholesterol. In addition, they need to have regular health check-ups to detect if they have the above diseases. Blood sugar and blood lipid tests are not expensive but help prevent stroke.
When there are any of the following symptoms: decreased vision, weak limbs, slurred speech/difficulty speaking, headache, dizziness, etc., the patient should be taken immediately to a stroke treatment unit.
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