Canadians aren’t acting fast enough when the symptoms of a stroke first appear, says a recent Heart & Stroke Foundation report.
The organization, in conjunction with the Canadian Stroke Network, reports that adults under 50 often act too slow in response to stroke symptoms, putting themselves and others at greater risk.
“They sort of ignore their signs of stroke and are in denial, perhaps thinking it might get better on its own,” said Dr. Naeem Dean, director of the Stroke Program at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Roughly half of adults under 50 admitted to hospital with symptoms of a stroke arrived more than eight hours after the onset of symptoms — nearly 40 per cent took more than 12 hours to seek treatment.
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is stopped, reducing oxygen supplied to the brain.
Dean said ideally, individuals would be admitted to hospital and receiving treatment within three-and-a-half hours to benefit from clot-busting medications.
“These drugs have to be given as soon as possible,” he said. “With each minute delay with this drug, you lose millions of brain cells.”
Roughly 66 per cent of Canadians sought treatment after the three-and-a-half-hour window.
Each minute of treatment delay results in the person losing roughly two million brain cells. Every hour results in neuron loss equivalent to more than three years of typical aging, the report said.
St. Albert resident Neil McKay, 62, suffered a stroke at the end of February.
He was at home with his wife and the morning began as it typically does — he woke up bright and early and was in the kitchen making coffee for the pair.
“I went to plug the kettle in and my right arm wouldn’t work,” he said. “I very quickly figure that this is stroke-like symptoms and I need to seek attention.”
He went to the bottom of the stairs to call to his wife. As he walked, he had to drag his right leg.
She called 911 almost immediately, he said.
McKay said his symptoms largely went away by the time emergency personnel responded, but they took him to the University of Alberta Hospital where he was admitted for several days.
Doctors determined he suffered a minor stroke and he now undergoes regular testing as a preventative measure.
Issues relating to heart and stroke have been top of mind for McKay, after suffering a heart attack last June. He said he is unsure if he would have taken such immediate action after his stroke had it not been for his heart attack.
McKay said he understands why some individuals wait a significant amount of time before seeking treatment, noting his symptoms went away and could have easily been ignored.
“The younger we are, the more invincible we are either through general thinking or not thinking about it,” he said. “When we’re younger, we haven’t thought about serious medical outcomes nearly as much.”
McKay experienced numbness of his limbs and difficulty moving. Other common symptoms of stroke include weakness, difficulty speaking, vision problems, headache and dizziness.
Dean said individuals can significantly reduce their risk of stroke by eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and not smoking. He said individuals over 40 should also watch for other risk factors.
“When you reach your 40s, you should screen yourself for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes and watch your lifestyle,” he said.
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in Canada, behind cancer and heart disease. In 2009, more than 14,000 Canadians died of stroke, according to Statistics Canada.
There are roughly 50,000 strokes per year in Canada.
