Undiagnosed or untreated hypertension continues to send a large number of people, who suffer a stroke, to emergency rooms, doctors in the city say.
Despite increased health awareness in the recent years, stroke continues to disable and kill. Hypertension, recognised as the most important modifiable risk factor, weakens blood vessels in the brain, leaving them susceptible to clots and rupture. Doctors say high-stress lifestyle is to blame for it.
“Very often, we hear that a patient who suffered a stroke had hypertension that may have been mismanaged. Stress from working high-pressure jobs, despite efforts to get healthier, results in hypertension and increases the risk of stroke. We are now seeing an increasing number of young people having strokes,” said Rupam Borgohain, a professor of neurology at the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS).
In the absence of State-specific numbers on stroke, the fact that undiagnosed or mismanaged hypertension results in sudden death, is borne out by the data from Jeevandan, the State’s cadaver organ donation programme. Stroke is the second largest contributor to State’s pool of organs after road-traffic accidents. Nearly a third, or about 40 donations this year, was from individuals who collapsed and were declared brain-dead, following a stroke.
Recurrent stroke is another concern that doctors speak of, with risk of recurrence high in the first five years after a stroke. Blood pressure control thus becomes crucial for such individuals, doctors say.
While stating that severity of stroke can either be minimal or catastrophic, Komal Kumar, senior neurologist at Yashoda Hospitals, advised quitting smoking, controlling hypertension and also exercising to minimise risk.
“If a particular risk factor is affecting the health, steps should be taken to alleviate the effects of that risk,” Dr. Kumar added.
The World Stroke Organisation also advises identifying and treating atrial fibrillation, reducing the risk of diabetes and reducing alcohol intake, besides controlling cholesterol.
