Pakistan Hit by Haemorrhagic Strokes
Monday, 31 October 2011, 16:48 IST
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Islamabad: Haemorrhagic stroke is posing a serious challenge to Pakistani people's health and is one of the leading causes of death in the country, an expert has said. Shaneela Malik, a doctor and an expert in vascular neurology at the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, US, said the ratio of haemorrhagic stroke in Pakistan was higher than in Europe, Online news agency reported. A haemorrhagic stroke results from a weakened vessel that ruptures and bleeds into the surrounding brain. The blood accumulates and compresses the surrounding brain tissue. The World Stroke Day is observed Oct 29 every year. This year, it had the theme "1 in 6 people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime - IT COULD BE YOU!" Malik said the number of stroke cases was higher in Pakistan compared to western countries -- 21-31 percent versus 10-15 percent. Around 60 percent stroke cases in Pakistan occur in patients above 60 years of age. Around 15 million people across the world suffer from stroke every year. Among those one-third die and one-third become permanently disabled, Malik said. In order to prevent the disease and manage it in good manner, her advice is to get blood pressure checked on a regular basis -- at least three to four times a year, taking medication regularly, eating a low-salt diet, adopting healthy dietary habits and indulging in physical activity or exercising on a regular basis. "Stroke can be prevented, stroke can be treated and stroke can be managed in the long term," she said.
Source: IANS
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