About Stroke
What is Stroke?
Stroke, also known as cerebrovascular accident, is the leading cause of adult disabilities and the second leading cause of death worldwide1.
1 in 4 people will have risk of stroke in their lifetime
Every six seconds, someone in this world dies of a stroke
The 4th leading cause of death in Hong Kong, resulting in an average of 3,000 deaths per year2
A stroke occurs when blood supply to the brain is interrupted, depriving brain cells (i.e. neurons) from oxygen and nutrients. A stroke may be caused by blockage (i.e. ischaemic stroke) or rupture (i.e. haemorrhagic stroke) of blood vessels that provide blood supply to the brain. This causes neurons to die and leads to permanent disability or even death in severe cases. Although ischaemic stroke account for majority of the strokes, proportion of intracerebral haemorrhage was reported to be higher in Chinese population than Caucasians, accounting for 30% of all types of strokes.
[1] Katan M., Luft A. (2018). “Global Burden of Stroke.”
[2] Department of Health. (2018). “Health Facts of Hong Kong.”
What are the common symptoms of stroke?
Depending on the areas affected in the brain, stroke can give rise to various symptoms which usually occur suddenly. The most common symptoms include sudden slurring of speech, weakness or numbness on face, arm and/or leg, usually on one side of the body. Other symptoms include sudden blurring of vision, loss of balance or coordination, severe dizziness. Also, weakness of four limbs and unconsciousness in severe cases.
Common stroke symptoms can be recognized by the acronym “F.A.S.T”:
F
Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A
Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Is there weakness or numbness on one side? Does one side drifts downward?
S
Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is the speech slurred?
T
Time: Should any of the above symptoms occur, seek medical attention immediately.
Time is brain
Nearly 2 million neurons die every minute during a stroke.
More than half of the stroke survivors suffer from various degree of long-term physical or cognitive disabilities, resulting in difficulties in self-care and loss of productivity. Stroke affects not only the patients, it also poses significant burden to the caregivers, healthcare system and the society. Hence, it is important to recognize stroke symptoms early and seek medical attention immediately. The sooner the patients are treated, the better the chance of recovery from stroke.
Reducing the risk
Risk factors for stroke
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How to reduce the risk of stroke?
Healthy eating
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Physical activity
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Risk scores calculators
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Contact Us
CU Stroke Angels, Division of Neurology
Room 114028, 9/F, Lui Che Woo Clinical Sciences Building
Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT, HK
Email: custrokeangels@cuhk.edu.hk
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