On Tuesday, October 29, on the occasion of World Stroke Day, the French Neuro Vascular Society (SFNV), institutions, and the entire medical community are mobilizing to alert the population about strokes (cerebrovascular accidents (CVA)), because this condition affects 1 person every 5 seconds worldwide.
Actions are being taken to raise public awareness about the importance of the immediate care of victims at the first symptoms by calling ’15’; as well as to encourage the public to monitor their blood pressure, the main risk factor for strokes.
A stroke (or cerebrovascular attacks) is a major public health issue that necessitates encouraging and repeating public information campaigns. Strokes have benefited from therapeutic advances in recent years, which compel mobilizing the public so that it is perceived as an emergency. The sooner it is treated, the better a stroke can be managed. The major challenge is reducing mortality and the severity of aftereffects and disabilities.
The WHO refers to it as a pandemic and projects an increase in stroke incidence from 16 million in 2005 to 23 million in 2030.
It is one of the leading causes of mortality in France, the first for women; the leading cause of acquired adult disability, and the second cause of dementia.
In France, each year, 155,000 new people are affected by a stroke, one every 4 minutes, and 62,000 will die within the following 6 months.
This condition is often ignored or neglected, even though nearly 800,000 French people are affected today and more than 500,000 live with resulting disabilities.
Every instant counts. In the face of one or more symptoms, adopt the correct reflex: immediately call ’15’. Immediate care allows confirming the diagnosis and starting treatment quickly, which will reduce brain damage and thus the risk of death and aftereffects associated with this serious condition.
