Stroke takes place when the supply of blood to the brain is cut off. As this happens, the cells in the brain get deprived of oxygen and they begin to die. Stroke can happen suddenly and without urgent medical attention, the sufferer can die instantly. While many people survive from a stroke, most of them deal with some form of disability which could either be temporary or lifelong.

This is why prevention of stroke is a public health concern and the government and private institutions and charities have carried out massive campaigns to educate the public about stroke and how it can be prevented.

In the study by Population Health Research Institute at McMaster and collaborators from 32 countries, it was found that 9 out of 10 risk factors previously identified by researchers in another study, are preventable.

According to the researchers, the number of stroke cases would be practically cut in half if hypertension was eliminated, reduced by 36 per cent if people are going to be physically active, and lowered by 19 per cent if they had better diets. Stroke may also be prevented if people will quit smoking, reduce their alcohol intake, and learn how to manage stress effectively.

However, the weight of some risk factors appeared to vary by region. For example, the impact of hypertension ranged from practically 40% in Western Europe, North America, and Australia to 60% in Southeast Asia. The risk of alcohol was lowest in Western Europe, North America and Australia but highest in Africa and south Asia, while the potential impact of physical inactivity was highest in China. Meanwhile, irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation) was significantly associated with ischaemic stroke in all regions, but was of greater importance in Western Europe, North America and Australia, than in China or South Asia.

The major takeaway of the study was that stroke is a highly preventable disease globally, regardless of an individual’s age and sex. "Now is the time for governments, health organizations, and individuals to proactively reduce the global burden of stroke. Governments of all countries should develop and implement an emergency action plan for the primary prevention of stroke," the researchers wrote.

Source of this article:

Global and regional effects of potentially modifiable risk factors associated with acute stroke in 32 countries (INTERSTROKE): a case-control study

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