Stroke, 4th leading cause of death : "90 pc of strokes are preventable"
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 15 2024: Closely related to lifestyle, stroke is the 4th leading cause of death.

But 90 percent of strokes are preventable, say medical experts.

A stroke, also known as a brain attack, is a medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to the brain is stopped or a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

According to a report of the National Library of Medicine, stroke is the 4th leading cause of death in India and is the 5th leading cause of disability.

The incidence of stroke in India is between 105 and 152 per 100,000 people per year.

1.5 to 2 million new stroke cases are reported across India every year.

Everyday around 3,000-4,000 people in India suffer from stroke.

Meanwhile, some reports have claimed that 140 persons per one lakh population suffer stroke yearly in India indicating that 12 per one lakh persons suffer stroke daily.

If this report is followed, Manipur has around 34 lakh population, and 13 persons suffer stroke daily.

Speaking to The Sangai Express, Tamphasana Wairokpam, Neuro Medicine Consultant at Babina Hospital, says there are two main types of stroke - Ischemic stroke and Hemorrhagic stroke.

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke caused by a blocked major blood vessel in the brain.

Hemorrhagic stroke occurs when a blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood into nearby tissues.

Doctor Tamphasana explains that the risk factors for stroke can be understood as Modifiable risk factors and Non-modifiable risk factors.

Modifiable risk factors include high sugar level, high cholesterol, smoking, lack of physical activities, consuming ultra processed food.

Non-modifiable risk factors include genetic conditions, age, race and other factors, which can not be controlled.

"Changing our lifestyle can prevent 90 percent of strokes," Dr Tamphasana says.

A person who has high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol should consult medical doctors to control abnormalities.

A person should exercise physically 20-30 minutes 3 days a week and eat and sleep regularly on time, Tamphasana says.

"Sleeping on time daily can significantly improve the functioning of body organs.

A person's organs and tissues repair and regenerate when we sleep.

Sleep deprivation will hinder our organs and tissues from undergoing repair.

This may increase the chance of suffering a stroke," explains the doctor.

A healthy diet, some physical exercise and a good night's rest help keep strokes away, she says.

Tamphasana says early detection is very important for treating a person who has suffered a stroke.

If a person is suspected to have a stroke, a CT scan is taken of the brain.

A CT scan of the brain helps detect a burst in the vessels/bleeding.

Symptoms of stroke include:

-sudden weakness or numbness in the face, arm, or leg, particularly on one side of the body
-sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech
-sudden vision problems, such as dimness or loss of vision in one or both eyes
-sudden dizziness orproblems with balance or coordination
-sudden difficulty in walking
-sudden severe headache with no known cause

While the stroke symptoms often happen suddenly and can vary from person to person, the easiest way to remember the symptoms is the word FAST, says the doctor.

FAST stands for Face, Arms, Speech, and Time to call emergency services.

Shija Hospital's Neurovascular Interventional Radiology Consultant, Dr Thangjam Gautam says 80 per cent of cases of strokes are Ischemic.

While ischemic stroke often causes deaths or it may paralyse or disable a person.

Ischemic stroke can be Acute/Hyperacute Infarct, Recurrent/Chronic Infarct (Recurrent stroke) or TIAs (Transient Ischemic Attacks)/mini strokes.

A person who is suspected to have suffered ischemic stroke must be rushed to the hospital within 6 hours for treatment, says Dr Thangjam Gautam.

While some hospitals do advise patients to be brought within 24 hours, the treatment is to unclog the blocked arteries, says the doctor.

This treatment of unclogging/clearing the clot arteries takes around 4.5 hours, but the chance of successful treatment is between 5-10 percent only.

In case the clot couldn't be treated, it remains inside causing paralysis of parts of the body and brain dead, says the expert.

A clot in the arteries of the brain can be removed through Neurointerventional Radiology Mechanical Thrombectomy.

The brain is not opened in Mechanical Thrombectomy.

Mechanical thrombectomy is a minimally invasive procedure that uses catheters and specialized devices to remove blood clots from the brain and neck arteries, Dr Gautam says.

During the whole procedure, the patient is conscious and awake and is interacting with the surgeons, he says.

Shija Hospital is the first and only health institute in Manipur to have performed Mechanical Thrombectomy (MT), he says.

Since 2016, the hospital has conducted MT on 150 patients.

Narrowing of arteries which can lead to stroke is treated through angioplasty.

Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure that widens blocked or narrowed arteries or veins, he says.

While narrowing of blood vessels in the heart can cause heart attack, it may cause stroke in the brain.

Only Shija Hospital in Manipur is equipped to perform angioplasty on brain, informs the doctor.

In case of stroke, the patient must be rushed to the hospital as soon as possible.

Only timely intervention will help save lives, Dr Gautam says.

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