Statistics of Stroke Disease in India per year

More than 1 million cases of Stroke per year in India.

According to WHO, Stroke is ranked 2nd amongst the top 10 causes of death.

Presently, there are only 1,200 neurologists registered with the Indian Academy of Neurology. Over 400 of them work in the four major metropolitan cities, leaving smaller numbers to cater to rural India. According to number of neurologists available in India, approximately there are about 834 patients per doctor.

A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functioning properly.

Signs and Symptoms

Signs and symptoms of a stroke may include an inability to move or feel on one side of the body, problems understanding or speaking, dizziness, or loss of vision to one side. Signs and symptoms often appear soon after the stroke has occurred. If symptoms last less than one or two hours, the stroke is a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also called a mini-stroke. A hemorrhagic stroke may also be associated with a severe headache. The symptoms of a stroke can be permanent. Long-term complications may include pneumonia and loss of bladder control.

Risk Factors:

• An unhealthy diet that increases your risk of stroke is one that’s high in:
  • salt
  • saturated fats
  • trans fats
  • cholesterol
• Inactivity, or lack of exercise, can also raise your risk for stroke.
• Alcohol consumption
• Tobacco use
• There are certain personal risk factors for stroke that you can’t control.
• Certain medical conditions are linked to stroke risk. These include:
  • a previous stroke or TIA
  • high blood pressure
  • high cholesterol
  • heart disorders, such as coronary artery disease
  • heart valve defects
  • enlarged heart chambers and irregular heartbeats
  • sickle cell disease
  • diabetes

Treatment consists of blood thinners

Early treatment with medication like tPA (clot buster) can minimise brain damage. Other treatments focus on limiting complications and preventing additional strokes.