Stroke Awareness: Victims Uninformed
Reported April 21, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — Even the obvious needs to be restated once in awhile: If you have a stroke, get to the hospital ASAP.
Well over 60 percent of patients in a British-based study had no clue they suffered a minor stroke, and more than one-third failed to get medical attention for more than 24 hours, according to a report in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Researchers analyzed 1000 patients in the U.K. and found people across all demographics — regardless of age, gender and socioeconomic status — showed an overall lack of awareness to recognize a stroke, which occurs when a blood clot stops the flow of blood to the brain.
There has been very little sustained public education, clinical research fellow at the University of Oxford Arvind Chandratheva was quoted as saying. [But] for a prolonged impact, sustained national campaigns are required,”
Stroke is the No. 3 killer and leading cause of long-term disability in the United States, according to the American Heart Association.
Source: Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association; April15, 2010