“About 90% of strokes could be avoided by living a healthy lifestyle.”

October 29, 2024 World Stroke Daya reason to remember the importance of taking care of yourself and preventing this serious disease. Every year there are almost 12 million cases of stroke and more than 7 million deaths worldwide. Spain recorded 90,000 new cases and more than 23,000 deaths. according to the Spanish Society of Neurology (SEN) . It is a cerebrovascular disease that is the second leading cause of death worldwide (after coronary heart disease) and the third leading cause of disability (first in Europe), according to the latest Global Burden study. Diseases (GBD)”.

In more detail, more than 30% of stroke survivors in Spain are currently in a situation of dependence due to long-term disability resulting from the consequences of the disease: stroke is the first cause of disability in Spain and in at least 40% of cases, stroke leaves serious consequences.

Dr. Mª Mar Freijo, coordinator of the group for the study of cerebrovascular diseases of the Spanish Society of Neurology, assures that “From year to year, the incidence does not increase or decrease significantly, but we observe that over the past 30 years we have been able to gradually reduce the number of strokes and even reduce their mortality to 50%.“And it went on”Much of this success is due to the implementation of the Stroke Code and stroke units, as well as improvements in treatment methods. But also because there is increasing awareness among the population about the symptoms (which makes patients seek help earlier, since we must not forget that a single stroke symptom is a medical emergency) and the importance of controlling risk factors.“Yes, he indicated”We estimate that about 90% of strokes could be avoided with a healthy lifestyle, as many risk factors for stroke are modifiable or controllable, such as some of the major risk factors for stroke, such as high blood pressure. , high cholesterol or diabetes, its control has increased significantly“.

Main reasons

According to the expert, “The risk of stroke increases significantly after age 65 and is generally more common in men than women (although the mortality rate is higher in the latter).“But be careful”In any case, stroke is not a disease exclusively of older people: approximately 15-20% of patients are under 50 years of age.

On the other hand, this further highlights that although age is a risk factor, almost 90% of strokes could be avoided through a healthy lifestyle, as many stroke risk factors are modifiable or controllable. The main causes of stroke are high blood pressure, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, obesity, sedentary lifestyle, alcohol consumption, hormone therapy and previous heart disease.

Latest Developments

As he clarifies: “In recent years, the greatest advances in stroke treatment have occurred both in the introduction of care measures – Stroke Units, Stroke Code and telemedicine (Teleictus) – and in therapeutic interventions – thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy and improvement of thrombolytic drugs (both in the effectiveness and expansion of the therapeutic window.)”-.

Guys

“There are two main types of stroke: ischemic stroke, which accounts for almost 80% of cases occurring in Spain, and occurs when a clot prevents or impedes blood flow to the brain; and hemorrhagic stroke, which accounts for almost 20% of the remaining cases, and which occurs when one of the brain’s blood vessels ruptures, cutting off circulation.”

explains Dr. Mª Mar Freijo. “In any case and regardless of the type of strokeThe speed with which medical care is provided when symptoms first appear will greatly influence a patient’s prognosis. Taking into account thatFor every minute that blood does not reach the brain, nearly 2 million neurons die.explains why the phrase “time is brain” is always associated with this disease. “If a person is suspected of having a stroke, emergency services should be called immediately because this is a medical emergency.”

How to recognize your symptoms

According to SEN estimates, Only 50% of the Spanish population knows how to recognize the symptoms of this disease. and that the percentage of the population that knows to call the emergency room if any stroke symptoms occur is even lower. For this reason, insist on remembering that when these symptoms occur:

• Sudden loss of strength or sensation in any part of the body. Typically affects one half of the body and appears predominantly on the face and/or extremities.
• Sudden changes in speech, with difficulty speaking or understanding.
• A sudden change in vision, such as loss of vision in one eye, double vision, or loss of vision in part of the field of view.
• Sudden loss of coordination or balance.
• A very severe headache, different from other headaches.

Be sure to call 112, even if they disappear after a few minutes.

move on

On November 10 in Madrid, the Spanish Society of Neurology will organize I Popular Racing Stroke Day 2024. This is the first race of its kind organized by this scientific society to make stroke visible, and the need to continue researching treatments and developing strategies to improve its approach.