Strokes are preventable

bmj.com -- UK health news 20050830: "The Times, The Guardian and the The Daily Mail all report on a survey conducted by the Stroke Association, which reveals the extent to which people underestimate the risk posed by strokes. The Stroke Association said that 50,000 strokes a year could be prevented if people were aware of the connections with high blood pressure, alcohol consumption and smoking. Currently, someone will have a stroke every five minutes, making it the single biggest cause of severe disability within the UK and the third biggest killer. Joe Korner of the Stroke Association called for more to be done to educate the public, saying: 'The lack of awareness of the risk factors, particularly high blood pressure, is very worrying. Up to 40% of strokes could be prevented'. GP Brian Crichton said: 'These results confirm what many GPs have long felt, that more needs to be done to raise awareness of risk factors for stroke and encourage people to take early action'. "