Stroke: women 50% more at risk in Galway
The Irish Heart Foundation has urged women to be extra vigilant about stroke warning signs after new statistics revealed that on average almost 50% more women than men are dying from the disease in Ireland.
In Galway, the rate was similar to the national average with 47% more women than men dying from stroke, according to provisional statistics for 2013 compiled by the Central Statistics Office.
Out of a total of 89 stroke related deaths in the city and county, 53 women died compared to 36 men.
Nationally 1,174 women died in 2013 and 827 men – a total of 2,001 stroke-related deaths in Ireland during the year.
The statistics have been revealed to mark National Stroke Week, from March 23-29.
Irish Heart Foundation Head of Advocacy Chris Macey said stroke is Ireland’s third biggest killer disease, so everyone should make sure they know the symptoms and understand that the only response when the disease strikes is to call an ambulance immediately.
“But the higher death rate from stroke among women is not widely known. The fact is that stroke kills almost twice as many women as breast cancer in Ireland and we are particularly asking women to be aware of the F.A.S.T. warning signs during this year’s National Stroke Week.
The F.A.S.T. acronym stands for: ■ Face – has their face fallen on one side? ■ Arms – can they raise both arms and keep them there? ■ Speech – is their speech slurred? ■ Time – time to call 999 if you see any one of these signs.
This year marks the third year of National Stroke Week and hundreds of stroke survivors will attend workshops and talks to avail of free expert advice about learning to cope with life after stroke. Irish Heart Foundation nurses also offer daily advice for stroke survivors through the National Heart & Stroke Helpline on Locall 1890 432 787.
According to the national charity fighting heart disease and stroke, the main reason more women die from stroke is that they live longer than men, resulting in a greater likelihood of being affected by the disease.
However, other factors are also at play such as the higher risk of stroke of women with atrial fibrillation than men with the same condition. Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of cardiac arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat and is associated with strokes that are more severe and are more likely to be fatal.
Mr Macey pointed out: “The good news is that acute stroke services in Ireland have undergone rapid improvement in recent years, which means that more people than ever are surviving stroke and getting their lives back in the aftermath.
“But to make the most of these enhanced services, it’s vital that people get expert help as FAST as possible. The average stroke destroys around two million brain cells every minute. So the quicker you get to hospital after a stroke, literally the more of your brain the doctors can save.”
He added that in addition to lives that could still be saved after stroke strikes, there was a lot that people could do to prevent themselves from having a stroke in the first place.
“Lifestyle changes such as drinking in moderation, not smoking, being more active and improving your diet can have a dramatic impact in lowering stroke risk. It is also crucial to reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It is estimated that 40% of strokes could be prevented through better control of blood pressure.”
In addition, people with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke than the rest of the population, so it is advisable for people over the age of 50 to undergo regular pulse checks to detect the condition.