Stroke is one of the leading causes of death worldwide and in Hungary as well; however, people do not take the preservation of their health seriously enough. In many cases, the disease could be prevented with a healthy lifestyle, with due care, and in case of a stroke, recognizing the problem and responding quickly can save lives.
On the occasion of the month of “stroke awareness”, dr. László Szapáry, associate professor, head of the stroke department of the Clinical Center Department of Neurology, president of the Hungarian Stroke Society, calls attention to the prevention, recognition of the disease and the most important tasks. In order to prevent stroke, it is important to know what the main risk factors for developing the disease are.
One of them is age, the majority of those affected are over the age of 55, and the risk continues to increase with age. In addition, health, high blood pressure, diabetes, atrial fibrillation (a common cardiac arrhythmia) and high cholesterol are all very important factors in increasing the incidence of stroke.
It is crucial that people pay attention to themselves from an early age, avoid consuming a large amount of alcohol, smoking, and besides they should eat well and lead a physically active life. Those with a family history of these risk factors may be more prone to stroke. The risk factors can be checked by regular screening tests, laboratory tests, while atrial fibrillation can be detected by EKG.