World Stroke Day celebrates advances in treatment

Monday, October 29, 2018

We are all aware of the unpredictability of a stroke and how its effects can change people’s lives forever.

But there are promising advances in both the prevention and treatment of stroke and these help people live full lives.

Today (Monday, 29 October) patients, families and medical staff come to together to mark World Stroke Day and the many advances in care and treatment for stroke patients. 

Professor Jesse Dawson, Professor of Stroke Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital said:  “World Stroke Day is a great opportunity for us to thank patients, carers and our colleagues who work so hard to try and improve care for people with stroke. 

“Scotland is one of the world’s leading countries for stroke research and every year we make great strides forward. 

“Yet again this year we have seen big advances in stroke care and treatment. At our European conference we heard how brain scans can help us identify more people who benefit from clot busting treatment. We also learned how best to target blood thinning treatment after mini-stroke.

“Last week at the World Stroke Conference we learned about some promising nerve stimulation treatments to help people recover after stroke. We now need to look at how we can make these treatments available in our NHS hospitals and improve outcomes for people who suffer stroke.”

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability accounting for 1 in 10 deaths and a total of 44 million years of healthy life lost each year. 

Stroke can happen to anyone at any time and affects everyone: survivors, family, friends, workplaces and communities. 

Ten key risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise, diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption, stress and depression, heart disorders and a higher concentration of molecules in the blood (apolipoproteins) that are involved in the transportation of bad cholesterol. 

ENDS 

Notes to Editors

World Stroke Day on Monday, October 29th provides an annual opportunity for stroke stakeholders to co-ordinate awareness and advocacy campaigns and build commitment to reducing the burden of stroke at global, regional and local level. 

For further information either telephone 0141 201 4429 or email [email protected]