“More than 400,000 people suffer from a stroke every year in Pakistan. One-third of the victims do not survive and about a half of them become dependent on others,” Dr Muhammad Wasay, Consultant Neurologist, Aga Khan University (AKU) informed the audience at AKU’s awareness programme on Tuesday.
He stated that strokes are the leading cause of disability and the second leading cause of death around the world. “It is unfortunate though that most people in Pakistan are not aware that strokes can be prevented and treated,” said Dr Wasay.
More than half of the strokes can be checked by controlling high blood pressures, adding he said, in addition, about 80 to 90 per cent can be checked by monitoring cholesterol and sugar levels. The cost of prevention is lower than the cost of recovery if one quits smoking and exercises regularly.
Dr Wasay added that the stroke units in the hospitals have revolutionised the stroke treatment, so patients should be transferred to a hospital as soon as possible, in less than three hours if possible.
The longer a stroke patient waits to report to a hospital, the more damage the stroke can do and the more difficult it gets to recover, he further added. The public awareness and motivation can lead to reduced stroke rates and improvement in recoveries, he stated.
Dr Gohar Javed, Consultant Neurologist, AKU, shared his expertise on the neural infirmity of lower back pain. Lower back pain is a common problem, yet it is difficult to pinpoint its exact cause in many patients even after several tests and procedures, he expressed.
Fortunately, in most of the cases the back pain does not last more than a few weeks, but it is advisable to consult a physician if the pain persists longer, Dr Javed stated.
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