When stroke strikes

MANILA, Philippines – Strokes kill about five million people each year and is considered as the second leading cause of death worldwide. At least 15 million patients have non-fatal strokes annually, and about a third is significantly disabled as a consequence. In the Philippines, it is one of the leading causes of death together with other vascular diseases. 

A stroke is similar to a heart attack. It is caused by the malfunction or “death” of a part of the brain when there is a lack of blood supply to that certain part due to a clot or a ruptured vessel. When stroke strikes, time lost is considered brain lost. The faster the patient is able to receive medical intervention, the greater the chance for him to recover from stroke. 

But before a stroke happens, one needs to understand its risk factors so that medical intervention is administered early and aggressively. The non-modifiable risk factors for stroke include age, sex, family history, race, and ethnicity — factors that we cannot control. However there are modifiable risk factors for stroke which when eliminated or controlled reduce the risk of stroke significantly.  These are hypertension, cardiac disease (particularly atrial fibrillation), diabetes, hyperlipidaemia or elevated cholesterol, cigarette smoking, alcohol abuse, physical inactivity, asymptomatic carotid stenosis, and transient Ischemic attack. 

There is a growing concern that because of the lifestyle and diet of Asians, particularly Filipinos, cholesterol levels are rising, resulting in an increased risk for stroke (brain attack). In addition to being a leading cause of heart attacks, high cholesterol is emerging as a major risk factor for what is known as ischaemic stroke. In this type of stroke, the blood supply to part of the brain is cut off because either atherosclerosis or a blood clot has blocked a blood vessel. .

Atorvastatin, a medicine from the world’s number one research-based pharmaceutical company Pfizer, has also been proven effective among diabetic patients in preventing the occurrence of non-hemorrhagic strokes. The Collaborative Atorvastatin Diabetes Study (CARDS) showed that type 2 diabetic patients given atorvastatin 10 mg. daily reduced their risk of developing non-hemorrhagic stroke by a significant 50 percent.

“It is important for patients to be more aware of their disease and its possible risks for better health management. A sensible lifestyle and high quality medication for ailments such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes would be the key in making sure that healthcare needs are addressed sufficiently, says Dr. James Wee, Pfizer Philippines’ cluster physician for lipids and metabolics. “It is also highly important that patients communicate with their doctors regularly so that they are given ample information about their disease. This will greatly help in making the patient understand his condition.”