Mumbai, Oct 28 With stroke cases rising among young adults in India, health experts have highlighted that under 5 per cent of patients reach hospitals within the treatment window, delaying timely intervention and limiting access to life-saving medical care.
While calling for better access to timely stroke care, they noted that factors such as diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, and stress are driving up the cases.
“In India, less than 5 per cent of (stroke) patients reach hospitals within the treatment window. In other countries, it is 15-20 per cent. One in four people will experience a stroke in their lifetime, and 15-20 million people worldwide suffer a stroke every year,” said Dr Shirish M Hastak, Gleneagles Hospital Mumbai Regional Director, Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical Care.
Therefore, improving timely access to stroke care in India is very important, he emphasised.
Dr Hastak insisted it is important to monitor blood pressure regularly, as high BP is a silent killer that requires regular checks and appropriate management to help reduce stroke risk.
Gleneagles Hospital Director of Neurology, Stroke and Neurocritical care, Dr Pankaj Agarwal explained that a stroke occurs when the blood supply to a part of the brain is blocked, or when a blood vessel in the brain ruptures and bleeds.
“Without adequate oxygen, brain cells begin to die within minutes, so timely treatment is critical. Stroke cases are no longer limited to older adults as we are now seeing a worrying rise in cases among youngsters as well,” he maintained.
Dr Nitin Dange, Director – Interventional Neurologist and Neurosurgeon, Gleneagles Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, said, “Since COVID-19, we have observed a rise in stroke cases among young adults. Earlier, stroke was more commonly seen in people in their 40s and 50s, but we are now seeing cases among those in their 20s and 30s. Stroke cases in the younger population appear to have increased by 10-15 per cent.”
He said high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise, and stress contribute to the concern.
In some women, oral contraceptive pills may also increase the risk, particularly when other risk factors are present, Dange noted.
“Ischaemic strokes, caused by blocked arteries, account for 75-85 per cent of cases, while haemorrhagic strokes, caused by bleeding in the brain, account for 15-20 per cent,” Dange informed.
Timely diagnosis is crucial as blood thinners can worsen bleeding in haemorrhagic strokes, while patients with ischaemic stroke can receive clot-dissolving treatment within 4.5 hours, he added.
(PTI News)
