Young Indians: Fighting the Stroke Epidemic.

From actor Mithun Chakraborty to Zerodha’s Nitin Kamath, the word ‘stroke’ has been in the news a lot. However, medical professionals claim that the information available online and in the public domain regarding it is still partially understood and insufficient to prevent or detect stroke in time.

“If a person has a heart attack, they go straight to the hospital. However, most patients have early symptoms of stroke, which they ignore because the symptoms go away within minutes. Because people don’t know how manageable strokes are. In their early stages, there is still a stigma. There is a possibility, according to Dr. P.N. Rengen, a senior neurologist at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals in New Delhi, who is facing stroke patients for over 40 years.

A vascular insult to the brain or a blockage in the arteries of the brain is called a stroke. Blood flow to the brain depends on these arteries, says Dr. Rengen.

Two categories of stroke exist. An ischemic stroke occurs when an artery is blocked by a blood clot, also known as a thrombus. Uncontrolled blood vessel leakage in the brain is called a hemorrhagic stroke. The most common causes of this type of stroke include brain tumors, high blood pressure, drug addiction, and head trauma.

According to a 2023 Lancet journal research conducted in association with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), brain stroke could lead to 10 million deaths by 2050 in low- and middle-income countries, including India. It also noted that India had the highest number of stroke patients in 2019 among all of Southeast Asia. According to ICMR data for 2021, stroke is the sixth leading cause of disability and the third leading cause of death.

Early signs?

According to a 2022 online survey conducted by research-driven pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim India among 4,742 Indians across 12 locations, less than 25% of Indians know the symptoms of stroke and only 10% are aware of available treatments. “People believe that a stroke is the end of the world when they are misinformed or given no information at all. So, according to Dr. Rengen, there is no need to take action if the symptoms are evident early.

Small strokes occur. These are called transient ischemia attacks and can manifest as weakness on one side of the body, a tilted face, vision problems, unsteadiness, slurred speech, or weakness in the arms and legs. “However, things improve within a few minutes. So, although about half of stroke patients have these initial symptoms, the vast majority do not undergo further tests. They return after the first one or two times. However, a serious third event can occur, in which case you may Will have to use a wheelchair permanently, according to Dr. Rengen.

Can stroke kill?

Gone are the days of peace and suffering. “Our mission is to help stroke victims and improve their quality of life,” said Dr. Rengen said. Tissue plasminogen activator drugs, which help dissolve blood clots that block arteries almost immediately, are the most significant advances in stroke treatment.

“I can give you this medicine and if you see me within three hours of the stroke, there’s a thirty percent chance you’ll make a full recovery and your CT scan doesn’t show bleeding. I can still give you this medicine and it will still be effective. , even if you If you can get there in 4.5 hours, the sooner you get there, if you get there in six hours and the artery is clotted, I can do a thrombectomy on you, even imaging at 12 and 24 hours,” Dr. Rengen explains.

Keeping the brain healthy

Although stroke prevention is now more important than ever, therapy remains to be improved. A number of lifestyle mistakes often lead to poor arterial and blood health. “Either way, you should eat a balanced diet. The adult brain needs lipids for function and carbohydrates for energy; if you limit or overdo it, you’re doing yourself a disservice. You need to consume a balance of nutrients that your body needs,” explains Dr. Rangen.

Another preventable risk is taking care of medical problems that cause arterial plaque buildup. These include uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and improper use of oral contraceptives.

“I give two more pieces of advice to patients. First of all, mental, physical and social health are all components of health. Thus, it is important to take care of all three: regular exercise, balanced diet, healthy association and low stress and vitamins B12, E, and C, in my opinion, can also increase brain health and cognitive reserve, if you take care of these things, you will live a higher quality of life, assures Dr.

READ | “Top 5 Powerful Strategies to Overcome Negativity and Reduce Stress”

---