TEHRAN –Iran is one of the ten most successful countries in the world for acute stroke treatment, a member of the National Iranian Stroke Committee has said.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death in Iran. It is one of the big challenges in the world and one of the main causes of disability worldwide, IRNA quoted Ehsan Sharifipour as saying.

Stroke, also known as brain attack, usually happens when the blood supply to a part of the brain is disrupted. In this case, either vessels are blocked or they bleed, in both cases, there is an interruption of blood to any part of the brain.

Stroke cases usually occur in people aged 70 or older, while the average age is 10 years lower in Iran. The disease affects people aged 60 or older in the country,” Sharifipour said.

Unfortunately, the rate of stroke prevalence in Iran is 1.5 times higher than the world average, that is, if there are less than 100 strokes per 100,000 people in the world, according to the studies, this rate is 150 cases in Iran.

15th intl. congress on stroke

Sharifipour went on to say that the 15th international congress on stroke will be held in Tehran on December 13-14.

“The 15th international congress on stroke will be held with the presence of the best national and foreign professors from 10 countries, presenting the latest scientific achievements in the field of vascular diseases of the brain and spinal cord and the latest scientific, technical, and technological findings.”

There will be about 100 lectures; various scientific workshops and specialized panels; and interdisciplinary discussions between specialists in neurology, rehabilitation, neurosurgery, and radiology fields. The modern endovascular techniques and methods to treat patients suffering from strokes and the latest rehabilitation methods for these patients will be discussed as well.

Stroke second cause of death in Iran

Brain attack is the second leading cause of death in Iran as annually some 15 percent of around 550,000 people suffering from stroke die either on the spot or later, an official with the Noncommunicable Disease Office at the Ministry of Health, has said.

Alireza Mahdavi made the remakes on the occasion of World Stroke Day which was held on October 29 to emphasize the serious nature and high rates of stroke. The day is observed annually to raise awareness of the prevention and treatment of strokes.

The goal is to reduce premature deaths and disabilities under the age of 70. Unfortunately, at least one-third of deaths under the age of 70 are caused by non-communicable diseases, half of which are related to strokes, ISNA reported.

The severity of disability caused by stroke depends on the extent of ischemia and the intervention time, Mahdavi added.

He enumerated the symptoms of stroke as convulsions, confusion, neck stiffness, trouble speaking, not understanding what others are saying, numbness in the hands, face, and feet, double vision, blurred vision, blindness in one or two eyes, severe headache accompanied by nausea and confusion, trouble walking, etc.

These signs warn of the occurrence of a stroke, and each of them may appear alone in a person.

With the emergence of some symptoms such as the inability to raise the arms, lack of clarity of expression, and so on ask the person to smile to determine whether the two sides of his face are symmetrical or not. In this case, time is very important to call emergency immediately. Immediate treatment can minimize the long-term impact of stroke.

Regarding the prevention of strokes, he said: regular physical activity, a healthy diet, and avoiding tobacco and alcohol are among the most important ways to prevent strokes.

MT/ MG