Stroke
About Stroke
Strokes among young people on the rise
Strokes are normally associated with ageing and a common belief is that only old people suffer from them. However, that's not the case. A study from the Department of Neurology at The University of Hong Kong found that strokes are becoming more common among young people, with the youngest recorded patient being in their 20s. Ten years ago, only 1 out of 10 patients who had a stroke was below 50 years old. That ratio has now risen to 2 and increasingly reflects the reality that strokes can happen to young people too.
Source: Hospital Authority; mingpaohealth.com
Leading causes of strokes
| Hypertension | Hypertension causes tunica interna which can result in the development of such disorders as aneurysms and atherosclerosis, all increasing the risk of suffering a stroke. |
| Smoking | People of all ages who smoke are at a greater risk of having a stroke. This risk is further increased by people who smoke during a period where they are also taking oral contraceptive pills. |
| Diseases of the Heart and Circulatory System | Diseases in this category include Atrial Fibrillation, Coronary Heart Disease, Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Congestive Heart Failure. As the heart weakens, the blood's viscosity increases and the risk of thrombosis also becomes higher. |
| Alcoholism | Alcohol in moderation will not cause a stroke but excessive alcohol consumption can significantly increase the risk of a stroke. |
| Diabetes | Diabetes not only increases the risk of damage to the tunica intima but also affects blood lipids. Mismanagement of diabetes can increase the risk of a stroke by up to 3 times. |
| Obesity and high blood lipids | The accumulation of blood lipids can form blood clots. Obese individuals are at risk of having hypertension, diabetes and some form of heart disease which all contribute to the higher risk of suffering a stroke. |
- • People with hypertension
- • High cholesterol
- • Smoking and binge drinking
- • People with diabetes
Strokes becoming more widespread
A stroke is a condition whereby the nervous system suffers various problems due to a disruption to the brain's blood supply. There are over 25,000 new stroke diagnoses in Hong Kong every year and among these, 3,400 people die because of complications caused by a stroke.
Patients who have a stroke are faced with a long, hard road to rehabilitation. In addition to the mounting medical expenses from treatments, patients may also need to receive physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Additional care expenses may also be incurred as patients experience difficulty moving around on their own.
| Care Services | Fee (HKD) |
|---|---|
| Private care homes – basic accommodation and food | 6,000-8,000 per month |
| Private care homes – basic care service and outreach medical services | 1,000-3,000 per month |
| Accompanying medical consultations | 200-500 per session |
| Diapers | 800-1,000 per month |
Within five years of suffering a stroke, 11% of stroke patients depend wholly on someone taking care of them in their daily life. Furthermore, 21.2% of stroke patients will suffer another stroke within five years of the first episode.
Source: Research study by the Medicine Department of Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital.
The above information is for reference only.