Many 'unaware of stroke threat'
Updated on 18 July 2007
Many people are unaware of the threat posed by - and symptoms of - a stroke, a study has found.
Only 33% of those surveyed by the Stroke Association believed an attack causes immediate brain damage.
On suffering the symptoms of a stroke, 34% of people would wait 24 hours or more before seeking medical assistance. This contrasts with only 12% of people who would not report a stolen bank card immediately.
The over-65s were among the least likely to seek immediate assistance - despite 75% of strokes happening to that age group. Those aged 45-54 were the most aware. It also emerged that 69% of women would call 999 immediately on noticing symptoms, compared to 59% of men.
The survey found 45% of people believed current funding into stroke research is more than £10 million. According to a recent National Audit Office report, charity research funding into strokes is £2.6 million a year.
The Stroke Association argues this represents underfunding compared to coronary heart disease, which gets £43 million a year.
Joe Korner, director of communications at the Stroke Association, said: "These results highlight how strokes continue to be misunderstood by the public and is way down on their agenda. People simply do not realise the devastation that a stroke can cause or that it can be prevented."
Professor Joanna Wardlaw, a leading stroke researcher at Edinburgh University, said: "Many of the really important advances in stroke care that are now in clinical practice all over the world, have come from doctors, nurses, other therapists and scientists in the UK. Stroke is an underfunded area but this research is vital for improving outcomes for stroke survivors."
An estimated 150,000 people have a stroke each year in the UK. It is the third most common cause of death. More than 250,000 people live with disabilities, such as paralysis or inability to speak, caused by a stroke.
The symptoms include facial weakness, arm weakness and speech problems. Doctors recommend that anyone discovering any one of those signs should seek emergency medical assistance.
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