JEDDAH, 28 November 2004 — It might be a quick tingle — or a disabling or deadly jolt, but physicians want you to know more about strokes before one strikes you.
Based on hospital registers, Saudi Arabia has about 75 stroke cases a day. Saudis have a high prevalence of diabetes, obesity, hypertension and cigarette smoking — all contributing factors to brain and other forms of stroke. Old age is another factor, and as more Saudis live longer their chances of having a stroke increase.
The life expectancy of Saudis has risen to 70 years. Elderly Saudis are expected to become nine percent of the population in the coming decade, compared to four percent now.
“If the current Saudi age distribution is adjusted to North America, the prevalence of stroke will rise to 178 cases for every 100,000 people,” said Dr. Sattam Lingawi, president of Radiological Society of Saudi Arabia (RSSA). “By improving patient awareness and appreciation of the seriousness of the disease, we’ll enhance the carotid screening program, which in turn will help to prevent possible future strokes,” he told reporters in the wings of a physicians’ meeting at the Westin Jeddah.
The meeting was the start of a new public awareness campaign about stroke in light of the current evidence that efficient and early therapy improves the final disease outcome.
The Saudi Advisory Group Against Stroke (SAGAS) conducted a small survey among Saudis visiting Riyadh Armed Forces Hospital to gauge their knowledge about stroke. Thirty-four percent were able to correctly name a complication of strokes, and 30 percent thought there might be a treatment for an acute stroke, though most could not mention any.
SAGAS is a professional organization made up of specialists working in different hospitals in the Kingdom who are interested in promoting local management and services for stroke victims. One of the group’s main objectives is to increase public awareness and education about strokes. The group is a founding member of the World Stroke Federation and works in league with the Saudi Heart Association.
In the late 1980s, a community-based study in the Eastern Province indicated that 29 out of every 100,000 people experienced a stroke. Over the years, this figure has “undoubtedly risen” based on many hospital registers.
It is against this background that the RSSA, SAGAS and Boston Scientific have jointly launched the campaign. Speakers at the meeting focused on the stroke situation in the Kingdom, stroke imaging and the need for a national awareness campaign.
A stroke occurs when a clot blocks a blood vessel carrying oxygen and nutrients to the brain, starving it of its needs. There are also mini strokes — transient ischemic attacks (TIAs) — which are usually ignored.
“By improving patient awareness and appreciation of the seriousness of the disease, we’ll enhance the carotid screening program which in turn will help in preventing possible future stroke attacks,” Dr. Lingawi said.
The campaign — which runs under the slogan “You never know when a stroke might strike” — aims to educate citizens about the hazards of the stroke and prompt them to go for early screening. The program is operating a call center that will provide information on strokes and carotid screening locations.
