Tips: Reducing the risk of stroke
A stroke is a brain attack – a sudden interruption of blood flow to a part of your brain causing damage to brain cells. Strokes can affect movement, senses and intellectual functions depending on which part of the brain is damaged and symptoms include loss of consciousness, loss of sensation, difficulty swallowing or eating, and incontinence of bladder and bowel.
There are two main types of strokes: ischaemic and haemorrhagic:
• An ischaemic stroke is caused by narrowing or clogging of the arteries leading to the brain, or by a blood clot or debris breaking away from a blood vessel and causing a blockage in an artery within the brain.
• A haemorrhagic stroke is caused by an artery within the brain bursting and bleeding.
The immediate impact of strokes can be overwhelming personal catastrophe for those who suffer them. People with a stroke have to suddenly cope with physical, psychological, emotional, social and financial consequences. Usually a stroke happens because of a combination of factors. These include certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Other factors include smoking, heavy drinking, obesity or poor diet. In many people these ‘risk factors’ are easily identifiable and can be addressed.
By following some simple actions you can reduce your risk of stroke:
1. Get your blood pressure checked and, if necessary, treated.
2. Reduce/Stop smoking.
3. Exercise regularly.
4. Limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
5. Have a healthy diet.
6. Lower your cholesterol.
7. Have treatment if you have atrial fibrillation (irregular contraction of the heart).
8. Control your weight.
Strokes cost NZ taxpayers $138 million per year for stroke hospital services alone. Back in 1994 a study estimated the economic cost of stroke to be more than $93 million. The total quantifiable cost of stroke to the country today is estimated to be nearer $237 million per annum. Should the predicted three-fold blow-out in incidence of stroke over the next 30 years occur, the impact on our health services budget would be enormous.
If we can reduce the current incidence of stroke by just 2%, the blowout of people with stroke disabilities in 30 years’ time, and the subsequent budget impact, will be avoided.
Stroke statistics
• Stroke is the third biggest killer and greatest cause of major disability in New Zealand.
• Stroke can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time, at any age SUDDENLY.
• On average, we each have a 1:8 chance of having a stroke in our lifetime.
• If the incidence of stroke continues at the same rate as it is today, in 30 years’ time, on average 60 people a day will suffer a stroke.
• This year, we can expect 1900 New Zealanders will suffer a stroke before reaching retirement age, that is, 25% of all strokes.
• In New Zealand, there are approximately 32,000 people who have suffered a stroke at some time in the past.
• Of stroke survivors, 1 in 3 people will make what may be called a ‘good recovery’ but 1 in 5 people will make a ‘poor recovery’.
• Of every 20 stroke cases, about 5 will die within the first month. By 6 months, 8 will be living at home, another 2 or 3 will have died, and the remainder will be in a hospital or a rest home.
If you do suffer a stroke, one way you can protect yourself and your family is by having Trauma Insurance. In simple terms Trauma insurance provides you with a lump sum of money if you suffer a traumatic condition. It has to be one of the listed conditions on the product list but most insurance firms have the major traumatic conditions covered in their products. To find out more about Trauma Insurance, talk to your InsuranceNet adviser.
This information is general in nature and should not be used as a substitute for financial advice. Always consult your financial adviser before making any financial decisions.