: Young adults needs to take proactive measures to prevent strokes from occurring as studies show that stroke cases are on the rise among them, with 15 per cent involving ischemic strokes or blocked arteries.
He said studies showed smoking, physical inactivity and hypertension besides environmental factors such as air pollution are among the leading factors of stroke. Dr Kok also shared that stroke also can be caused by rare acquired risk factors like moya-moya syndrome , anti-phospholipid syndrome as well as heart abnormalities.
He said the public need to identify and address their stress triggers accordingly, as stress is very common nowadays and it can directly affect to an unhealthy behaviour, which in turn increases the risks of stroke. “B for balance issue or dizziness, E for eye or visual problems, F for facial drooping, A for arm or leg weakness or numbness, S for speech disturbance and T for time to call 999. For further assessment, the doctors will use a defined stroke scale like the National Institute of Health’s Stroke Scale to determine the severity of the stroke. The higher the score, the more serious the stroke,” he said.