Strokes occur due to largely preventable avoidable causes

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“A stroke is not an accident but rather a preventable event,” and should be considered as a “brain attack” – similar to a heart attack. This was stated by Dr Ayeesha Kamal at Aga Khan University Hospital 's (AKUH) ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programme on strokes.  Dr Kamal, Assistant Professor at AKUH and Director of Strokes Programme, said that about 70 per cent of strokes are caused by the loss of blood supply to the brain, which needs an un-interrupted supply and cannot survive without it for longer than 3 to 5 minutes.

She cautioned that a stroke is a medical emergency and appealed to all who witness stroke symptoms not to ignore them. Medications called clot busters can open the clogged arteries and reverse disability if the stroke victim receives professional health care within three hours of the onset of symptoms. Dr Kamal listed important signs like sudden onset symptoms such as numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; confusion, and trouble in speaking or understanding; problem seeing in one or both eyes; walking, dizziness or loss of balance or coordination; or a severe headache with no known cause emphasising early treatment, which improves outcomes and reverses sustained disability, Dr Kamal appealed to the  audience to adhere to healthy eating habits and a healthy lifestyle.

Speaking on ‘Surgical Management of Strokes', Dr Ehsan Bari, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at AKUH explained that most strokes occur because blood clots develop directly in the brain. Haemorrhagic strokes can be caused by an aneurysm, a weak spot in the artery that bulges and bursts or from a group of abnormal blood vessels known as arteriovenous malformation (AVM) or leakage from the blood vessels weakened by high blood pressure. In appropriate cases surgery is needed to remove the bunch of abnormal vessels or place a clip at the base of an aneurysm.

Highlighting the often-underestimated radiology aspect of diagnosis and treatment, Assistant Professor, Department of Radiology at AKUH, Dr Muhammad Azeemuddin, stressed on the important role in the diagnosis, therapy and even prevention of stroke.

New imaging techniques can diagnose stroke very early and can diagnose areas which are not yet damaged but are at risk of stroke. Early diagnosis helps in aggressive management. By diagnosing and treating carotid disease, radiologists play an important role in preventing possible stroke.

As part of its outreach programme and societal commitment to creating awareness of early diagnosis and timely treatment, AKUH has organised over 230 ‘Signs, Symptoms and Care' programmes in Karachi , Hyderabad , Quetta , Nawabshah and the UAE, benefiting more than 45,000 people. AKUH's Patient Welfare Programme offers financial assistance to those patients who are unable to afford the medical cost of treatment. In 2006, more than 74 per cent of all patients treated at AKUH were from low- to middle-income groups. Since the inception of this welfare programme in 1986, over Rs 1.6 billion has been disbursed to more than 300,000 needy patients.

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