Kolkata: Around 25% of stroke patients in the city succumb to a repeat stroke after having ‘missed’ the first one, said neurologists on the eve of World Stroke Day on Thursday.A brain stroke may have mild symptoms that are resolved naturally but if remain untreated, it exposes the patient to a repeat stroke that can be severe. Alarmingly, strokes, like heart attacks, are now affecting younger people than ever before, they pointed out.While not more than 8% to 10% of patients succumb to a stroke immediately, many die of ‘infection’ due to their reduced immunity, triggered by the stroke, said Charnock Hospital head of neurology Rohit Mishra.“A far bigger number dies of infections like severe cough and pneumonia or other infections that affect the organs due to lower immunity,” said Mishra.A considerable rise in young patients is worrying, said Koushik Dutta, consultant neurologist, Manipal Hospital Dhakuria. “Warning signs are generally similar across ages, including facial drooping, one-sided weakness and speech difficulties,” said Dutta.“Bleeding strokes affect 40% to 55% of young patients than in overall stroke cases, which is around 15%,” said Deep Das, interventional neurologist, CK Birla Hospitals. There has been a considerable jump in young adults presenting with stroke, including patients in their twenties and thirties, said Kaushik Sen, head of neurology at BP Poddar Hospital. “Young age should never delay recognition or emergency assessment,” Sen added.A severe stroke can trigger stroke-induced immunodepression, increasing susceptibility to potentially fatal infections, Sen said.Nearly half of stroke patients arrive late at hospitals, thereby increasing chances of a resultant disability and mortality, said Swati Kumar, consultant neurologist, Fortis Hospital.Prevention includes controlling blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol, quitting smoking, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy diet and treating heart conditions.Seek emergency medical care immediately, even if symptoms disappear, said Dutta. Epidemiological studies and urban community data place the approximate annual incidence of stroke in Kolkata at around 105 per 100,000 population.
