- By Iram Hussain
- Sun, 27 Oct 2024 05:54 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Stroke (brain attack) is the second leading cause of death and morbidity in the world including India. Annually, 18 million suffer from stroke every year, out of that around 21 lacs develop stroke in India annually. The expert said that there is a progressive increase in stroke incidence as age increases. Stroke prevalence is highest among adults aged > 65 of age (7.7%). Every six seconds stroke is killing someone in the world and every other second stroke is affecting someone or another.
In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr Puneet Agarwal, Principal Director - Neurology, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket explained the role of genetics in the risk of experiencing a stroke.
Symptoms Of Stroke
The symptoms of stroke can be remembered with pneumonic “BEFAST”.
B : Sudden Onset balancing problem or difficulty in walking
F : Sudden onset face deviation of facial weakness.
A : Sudden onset numbness or weakness of the arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
S : Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
T : Time (Means rush to nearby well-equipped hospital within 4.5-6 hrs golden period from onset of symptoms of stroke)
Important Risk Factors For Stroke or Brain Attack
- Blood Pressure over 140/90
- Smoker – exposed to tobacco, Alcohol, Cigarette
- Overweight
- Diabetes
- High Cholesterol
- Heart Disease
- High Homocystein level
- Migraine
- Drug abuse
Genetic Risk Factors For Stroke
Genetic mutations are important nonmodifiable risk factors for stroke especially in children and young age with parental or family history positive increasing the risk of stroke. Studies have shown that genetic associations are identified with other diseases known to be associated with stroke like cholesterol deposition in blood vessels (atherosclerosis), coronary artery disease and hypertension in family members or parents according to the doctor.
It has been shown that the presence of a family history of stroke in at least one parent doubled the risk of stroke among men and increased the risk among women. Stroke history in a sibling is also an increased risk of stroke in a proband. Female patients are more expected to have a stroke of first degree in particular with maternal history than in male patients.
Inherited Stroke Disorders
Inherited stroke disorders include hyperhomocysteinemia, Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome (APLA) CADASIL (cerebral autosomal-dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy) CARASIL (cerebral autosomal recessive arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leucoencephalopathy). Other important genetic disorders leading to stroke in children and young adults are CARASIL, Mitochondrial, Cytopathies and Sickle Cell Disease. High homocysteine level (a chemical increasing the viscosity of blood leading to clot formation) is a very common genetic disorder of brain attack (stroke) in the young population in the Indian subcontinent.
How To Identify Genetic Disorders For Stroke
Further, the doctor has said that various blood tests can be done for specific monogenic genetic abnormalities like CADASIL, CARASIL Mitochondrial cytopathies, high homocysteine level and APLA. The last method which is promising, effective and used with increasing frequency is Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS).
