Stroke

In 2007, over 20,000 men died of stroke. Strokes cause more death in men than any single cancer and are the leading cause of disability in the UK. Around half a million people in England alone have some form of disability because of stroke.

A stroke happens when the flow of blood to the brain is disturbed either by bleeding through the wall of a blood vessel, or a blood clot blocking an artery. These can completely or partially block the blood supply to part of the brain, causing a stroke. The resulting damage to the brain can affect a person's speech, movement and memory.

Who's at risk?

Most people think of strokes affecting only the elderly, but anyone can get one.

Strokes are more common in men than women and the vast majority occur in people over the age of 45. Some risk factors such as age and family history can't be changed, but others can.

You are more at risk of a stroke if you:

• Have high blood pressure
• Have high cholesterol
• Smoke
• Drink alcohol excessively
• Are overweight
• Are diabetic
• Already have heart disease such as irregular heartbeat
• Have previously had a severe heart attack

Act F.A.S.T: Early stroke symptoms

If someone is having a stroke they need to be treated quickly to improve their chances of survival and limit damage to the brain. If you think someone you know is having a stroke ask yourself this:

1. Face: facial weakness - can the person smile? Has their mouth or eye drooped?
2. Arm: does it show weakness? - can the person raise both arms?
3. Speech: problems - can the person speak clearly and understand what you say?
4. Time: If they have any of these signs, it's time to call 999

Stroke prevention

Six steps that can help reduce the risk of getting a stroke are:

• Have your blood pressure taken by your GP
• Check your cholesterol levels are within the normal range
• Stop smoking
• Check you are a healthy weight
• Cut back on dietary salt
• Cut back on your alcohol intake

This article was published on Fri 12 February 2010