KARACHI, Aug 22: A walk was held on Sunday near the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah to create awareness of stroke. The nazim of Jamshed Town was the chief guest on the occasion.

The walk, in which people of many walks of life took part, was held as part of the Stroke Awareness Week that was organized from Aug 16 by the Pakistan Stroke Society in collaboration with a pharmaceutical company.

On the occasion speakers stressed the need for collective efforts to prevent stroke. Dr Saad Shafquat of the PSS said that in order to enhance public awareness the society had embarked upon an awareness programme.

He appreciated the role of journalists, doctors, paramedical staff and pharmaceutical companies in promoting the cause. Dr M. Wasay, Dr Zahoor Ahmed and Dr Sarwar Siddiqui said stroke was common throughout the world, including Pakistan. People with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and arterial fibrillation (an abnormality of the heart) were at increased risk of stroke.

Although stroke was a very serious disease - being the number one cause for physical handicap and number two cause of death worldwide - it was preventable as well as treatable, they added. They maintained that there are three main causes of stroke.

Most commonly, blood clots arising from the heart end up in the brain, blocking blood flow to a part of the brain, which then ceases to function. Another reason is the narrowing of certain critical arteries, such as the carotid artery in the neck, which is prone to deposition of cholesterol and other fatty substances.

Finally, brain haemorrhage is caused by uncontrolled high blood pressure, which weakens arteries within the brain and causes them to rupture and damage the underlying brain tissue.

They said several risk factors increase a person's chances of suffering a stroke. These include high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol, besides smoking and use of other forms of tobacco.

Strokes can be prevented by paying attention to these risk factors in the form of strict control of high blood pressure, strict control of diabetes, eating a proper and balanced diet and avoiding tobacco use in any form, they stressed.

The nazim of Jamshed Town, Ahmed Parekh, highlighted the role of awareness in prevention of the condition. He announced full support from his town administration for rehabilitation of all stroke patients.