[Health Tip] Today is 'World Stroke Day'... "If symptoms are suspected, go to the hospital immediately"

4th Leading Cause of Death in Korea
100,000 New Patients Annually

Starting Treatment as Early as Possible Is Crucial
If You Notice Abnormalities in 'Neighbor, Hand, Foot, or Gaze,' Visit a Hospital

(Photo by Korean Stroke Society)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Every year on October 29th is designated as "World Stroke Day" by the World Stroke Organization. In Korea, since the founding of the Korean Stroke Society in 1998, the society has been leading activities related to World Stroke Day.

Stroke is a disease caused by a sudden disruption of cerebral blood flow. When a blood vessel is blocked, it results in ischemic stroke or cerebral infarction, and when a blood vessel ruptures, it causes hemorrhagic stroke. Stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death in Korea. More than 100,000 patients occur annually. The number of patients is expected to increase further due to the aging population.

In the treatment of cerebral infarction, which accounts for 80% of strokes, the "golden time" is directly related to the patient's survival, sequelae, and socio-economic burden, making it important to start treatment as quickly as possible. Only about 15% of cerebral infarction patients fully recover and are discharged. About 35% suffer severe sequelae that make independent living difficult, requiring treatment such as admission to nursing hospitals. Rapid treatment is the only way to minimize these sequelae.

However, only about 36% of stroke patients visit the hospital within 3 hours. Many patients wait for mild symptoms to improve but visit after worsening, or visit medical institutions unrelated to stroke, missing the golden time before finally arriving at the hospital.

The representative acute treatments for cerebral infarction are reperfusion therapies such as intravenous thrombolysis and intra-arterial thrombectomy. The sooner these treatments are received, the more than twice the improvement in patient prognosis can be expected. In particular, intra-arterial thrombectomy increases the possibility of independent living at 3 months by 2.5 times compared to untreated patients, emphasizing the need for rapid treatment.

This is why, if stroke is suspected, one must visit the hospital "immediately." Even if vascular recanalization treatment is received within the golden time, the earlier the treatment starts, the more brain tissue can be saved, minimizing sequelae accordingly.

The Korean Stroke Society advises remembering the stroke suspicion symptoms as "Neighbor·Hand·Foot·Gaze." These are: ▲ inability to smile saying "I~" ▲ inability to stretch both hands forward or weakness in one arm or leg ▲ slurred speech or aphasia symptoms ▲ gaze deviating to one side. If any of these are abnormal, immediately call 119 and visit a stroke center.

Currently, there are 69 places capable of stroke treatment: 64 stroke centers capable of reperfusion therapy and 5 general stroke centers. If you have underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, or atrial fibrillation, it is necessary to check in advance the stroke centers capable of acute stroke treatment. Stroke centers can be found on the Korean Stroke Society website or through the "Stroke 119" application.

The Korean Stroke Society also provides detailed information on stroke diagnosis and treatment through its YouTube channel. Educational videos feature stroke specialists explaining common questions that the public and patients have during actual medical consultations.

Kim Tae-jung, Public Relations Director of the Korean Stroke Society (Department of Critical Care Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital), emphasized, "Stroke is an acute disease whose prognosis changes dramatically depending on whether appropriate treatment is received within the golden time," and added, "As soon as stroke symptoms are recognized, call 119 and visit a stroke center."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.