About 41 percent of the global population vulnerable to strokes resides in Pakistan, where patients have a 30 percent higher chance of dying during the first 30 days after a stroke.
This was revealed by Dr Mughis Sheerani, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine, Agha Khan University and Hospital (AKUH) at Aga Khan University's Continuing Medical Education seminar on "Stroke-the New Epidemic." Dr Mughis Sheerani has said that the National Health Survey of Pakistan, (NHSP) estimates that 0.5 to 0.8 million people in Pakistan suffer from strokes and heart diseases.
He said that there is lack of neurologists and appropriate medical equipment available to treat patients who have suffered from strokes. He said that a survey of general practitioners in Pakistan reveals that many doctors use sedatives to control blood pressure among stroke patients, further worsening their condition.
This occurs despite the availability of less damaging medical options that can be used for the management of high blood pressure, he said. He said that conditions that increase the risk of strokes include high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, obesity and use of tobacco.
According to the NHSP, high blood pressure affects one in three adults over the age of 45 and approximately one in five of those over the age of 15, while 35 percent adults over the age of 45 suffer from diabetes and heart diseases, he said. He said that the survey also reveals that 28 percent of women and 22 percent men suffer from obesity, while 12 percent of women and 40 percent men use tobacco.
He said that according to World Health Organisation studies reveal that young people are as vulnerable to strokes as older people. Contrary to popular belief, an estimated 94 % of deaths from strokes in South Asia occur amongst people who are younger than age 70, adding that in other cases, strokes may also cause life-long disabilities, he said.
Dr Mohamrnad Wasay, Associate Professor, AKUH, said that according to WHO estimates, deaths due to strokes in Pakistan are as high as 84 percent 100,000 individuals, as compared to less than 20 percent 100,000 individuals in the USA and the UK.
He said that South Asia houses about 20% of the global stroke population, and the projected increase in the occurrence of strokes and heart diseases in South Asia is expected to rise more than any other region in the world.
He urged that there is a dire need for research, education, and development of national guidelines on stroke prevention in Pakistan. He stressed that collaboration to create national preventive programs is necessary to combat the effects of this disease in the country.
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