On the occassion of World Stroke Day, the President and member of the Cyprus Stroke Association, Marina Charalambous and Dr. Andreas Kostis, reported that not only is stroke the second leading cause of death in Cyprus, but it is also the leading cause of death in Europe and worldwide.

According to the report, 30% of the 600 to 1,000 stroke cases per year involve people under the age of 65.  The burden on the health system is estimated at €8.3 million per year.

If diagnosed early enough, strokes can be prevented through intravenous thrombolysis with Alteplase, a drug used since 1995 to remove clots causing blockages to cerebral vessels. 

"These treatments are offered in Cyprus, both in public and private hospitals, but without degrading the immediate need to create specialized Stroke Units", the announcement added.

But the best treatment is prevention itself by getting regular medical check ups, especially if a patient is at a higher risk due to smoking, heart disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. 

With strokes, every minute counts and World Stroke Day aims to bring awareness to the disease and help people recognize the symptoms of a stroke through the acronym FAST, which means Facial weakness, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time loss is brain loss.

Source: Knews