Report finds that adults under 50 are the slowest to respond to stroke warning signs
Dr. Michael Hill, Heart and Stroke Foundation and Canadian Stroke Network spokeperson (CNW Group/HEART AND STROKE
OTTAWA, June 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Adults under the age of 50 are risking death or permanent disability far too often by not calling 9-1-1 or local emergency number at the first sign of stroke, according to new data released by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Stroke Network.
The rest of Canadians aren't doing much better.
And that spells trouble because there are 50,000 strokes in Canada each year.
"When it comes to stroke, there are two enemies: the clock and the clot," says stroke neurologist Dr. Michaelj Hill, who speaks on behalf of the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Canadian Stroke Network. "Canadians need to understand that the clock starts ticking at the first signs of a stroke, and every second of delay leads to more brain cell death and greater risk of death or disability."
The stats - collected from about 10,000 patient charts at 295 hospitals across Canada found that half of all adults under the age of 50 took longer than eight hours to arrive at a hospital emergency department. Across all age groups, women took slightly longer than men to arrive at hospital.
Overall, two-thirds of Canadians arrive at hospital too late to meet the 3-hour treatment target for clot-busting drugs or other interventions that can minimize - or even erase - the devastating effects of stroke.
"Faster action would prevent disability for thousands of Canadians and save lives," says Dr. Hill.
Further, polling done for the Heart and Stroke Foundation in May 2012 found that even though most Canadians recognize at least one sign of stroke, over one in three say they would not likely call 9-1-1 or their local emergency number even if they saw those signs in someone they know.2
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Calling 9-1-1 fast is key to saving lives and preventing disability for tens of thousands of stroke patients, say ...