PESHAWAR, March 11: Aging, inactivity, smoking and fast food fuel the growing epidemic of stroke, speakers at a symposium said on Saturday. The figure would double by 2020 if preventive measures were not adopted, said consultant neurologist at a medical institute in Peshawar Prof Dr Sardar Mohammad Alam.

The seminar — ‘Stroke update’ — was organized by the Pakistan Stroke Society.

Prof Dr Sardar Alam said that a stroke occurred when brain was partially damaged by a sudden lack of blood supply, adding that it could affect people of any age-group. He described major symptoms of stroke such as numbness, weakness of face, arms and leg on one side of the body, inability to speak, double-vision and loss of consciousness and coma.

Dilating upon preventive measures, Dr Sardar Alam said that the disease could be controlled by encouraging a healthy lifestyle and increasing the public and professional awareness.

Prof Dr Saad Shafqat, associate professor of neurology at the Aga Khan University said that contrary to the common belief, stroke could be prevented and cured. He said hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking and high cholesterol level were major factors which increased the disease’s risk. He presented a survey conducted in India which showed that 45 per cent of people were unaware that stroke affected the brain and only 23 per cent people were aware of the warning signs of the disease’s onset.

He said that public awareness, coupled with early diagnosis and treatment of the stroke, could minimise the mortality rate. Physicians, he said, tended to underestimate the chances of good outcome, which should be avoided to get better results.

Dr Saad Shafqat said that early use of aspirin reduced the risk of a second stroke, adding that rehabilitation should start as soon as the patients’ condition stabilised as it would help recovery from disability and prevented complications from inactivity.

Prof Dr Syed Athar Enam Khan, consultant neurologist of the Aga Khan University said that a CT scan within 30 minutes of the stroke attack increased the chances of recovery by 95 per cent.

He advised stroke patients to undergo a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to help detect subtle-acute haemorrhages and briefed doctors about latest methods of neurosurgery.

Prof Dr Miqdad Ali Khan, associate clinical professor at the Michigan State University said that 800,000 people were affected by stroke every year in the US alsone, adding that it was the third biggest cause of death there. He delivered extensive lecture on advanced technology and treating methods used in US and other countries.

Prof Dr Sahibzada Waheed underlined the need for holding more symposia to control the disease in the region.—APP