Post date: Oct 29, 2011 10:41:41 AM
Today is World Stroke Day. There are 15 million people who have a stroke each year. Every other second, an adult or a child, a man or a woman, old or young, suffers a stroke. In fact, every six seconds, someone somewhere will die from a stroke. Stroke claims the lives of nearly six million people each year. It is the second leading cause of death for people above the age of 60, and the fifth for people aged 15 to 59. Stroke is the principal cause of long-term disability irrespective of age, gender, ethnicity or country. It is responsible for more deaths annually than those attributed to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria put together. The global burden of stroke has reached epidemic proportions and the situation will not improve until strong actions are taken. As heralded by the World Stroke Organization, Calicut Neurological Society stands in solidarity with patients, stroke survivors and their loved ones, most especially today – World Stroke Day.