A brain stroke can be as lethal as a heart attack, but no data have been collected so far at the national level on the former. Now plans are underway to start a national stroke registry in the armed forces, said Maj Gen S Rohatagi, Commandant, Military Hospital Cardio Thoracic Centre. Efforts are also underway to rope in all hospitals of the armed forces and collect data on strokes for the national stroke registry, he added.

Stroke is a neurological emergency that can affect a specific area or sometimes all of the brain. It can be caused by a burst blood vessel (haemorrhagic stroke) or occur when a vessel is obstructed by a blood clot (ischaemic stroke). The World Health Organisation estimates that 5.7 million people in the world die of a stroke each year. Among the survivors 40 per cent experience moderate to severe disability and 10 per cent require institutional care. For patients with an acute ischaemic stroke the only treatment currently available is Alteplase that has to be administered within three hours of the onset of symptoms according to its currently approved label. The Indian Stroke Association has endorsed the claim made by stroke associations across the world that Alteplase is effective even if administered within 4.5 hours of the onset of an ischaemic stroke.

According to the WHO report on stroke surveillance in India there are 16,67,372 stroke attacks in the country every year and 4,568 stroke attacks everyday. Of these 800-1000 people die of stroke everyday.

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