The 29th October marks World Stroke Day, a global initiative to promote education and awareness of stroke and the burden posed.
This year’s theme is ‘I am woman’ because women are not only at higher risk of stroke, but are also more likely to die from the condition compared to men.
Commenting on the initiative Professor John Camm, Professor of Clinical Cardiology at St. George’s University London and Professor of Cardiology at Imperial College London, said, “It is estimated that strokes account for a tenth of all deaths in the world every year, therefore promoting awareness of the risk factors should be a top priority for all policy makers and healthcare providers. Women are more likely to experience hypertension, diabetes, depression and obesity, all of which increase the likelihood of stroke. Given the increased risk, it is vital that we call on more women to get health checks and to better understand their stroke risk.”
Atrial fibrillation a key risk factor for stroke
A key risk factor for stroke is atrial fibrillation (AF), a condition in which the heartbeat is rapid and irregular. People with AF have a five times higher stroke risk compared to the general population and women are 2.5 times more likely to die from the condition than men. Awareness of the signs and symptoms of the disease are therefore needed to ensure detection of AF and reduce the risk of AF-related stroke.
Speaking about the association between AF and stroke, Professor John Camm continued, “Those with atrial fibrillation have a five-fold increased risk of stroke, with AF-related strokes accounting for 15% of the 15 million strokes that occur globally every year. Recent estimates suggest that around 33 million people in the world have AF. We need to raise awareness of the link between this condition and stroke, to ensure that as many people as possible are diagnosed and treated with anticoagulation medication accordingly, and are therefore better protected from stroke.”
A European initiative by Daiichi Sankyo highlights the risks associated with AF and high blood pressure. The Campaign “Make Your Heart Feel Good” points out that high blood pressure and AF are interlinked as studies suggest that hypertension is the disease most likely to predict that someone will develop AF in the future
Atrial fibrilliation can be detected by a simple pulse check
AF is frequently underdiagnosed with many AF sufferers not receiving adequate management. Detecting an irregular heart rhythm might be as simple as a manual pulse check, with any unusual rhythm verified with an electrocardiogram (ECG). AF can be detected by a simple pulse check – to learn more about the signs and symptoms and to conduct a pulse check, follow the ‘Check Your Pulse’ guide in Daiichi Sankyo’s interactive infographic: http://af-vte.thisinfographic.com/wsd
Discussing the importance of pulse checks, Trudie Lobban MBE, Founder and CEO of the Arrhythmia Alliance, STARS and the AF Association comments, “Many people are still not aware of the symptoms of AF and may go undiagnosed leaving them exposed to a much higher risk of AF-related stroke. The public needs to understand that symptoms such as breathlessness, dizziness and heart palpitations need to be checked at once by a doctor. AF can be detected using a simple pulse check to identify if your heart rhythm is irregular. By knowing your pulse and sharing this with you doctor it can lead to a quicker diagnosis. It is important to ‘Know Your Pulse’.”
