Study links strokes to dementia
Posted Jun 9, 2016 7:06 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
New data released by The Heart and Stroke Foundation is pointing to a strong correlation between strokes and dementia.
The report sounds an alarm over the fact both are age-related diseases, and a concern considering the aging population.
Even worse, evidence continues to emerge both are happening at a younger age.
With both on the rise, the CEO of The Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, is concerned with how much people actually know.
Donna Hastings says the most troubling of the statistics is that 39 per cent of Albertans can’t spot the signs of a stroke, so they are making it a priority to raise awareness about the acronym FAST.
“‘F’ stands for face – is it drooping? ‘A’ is arms – can you raise both? ‘S’ is speech – is it slurred or jumbled? And ‘T’ stands for time to call 911 right away – that it’s a medical emergency,” Hastings explained.
On a positive note, Hastings says nearly three quarters of people polled knew to call 911 if they saw someone with symptoms.
She says they are also working to educate people about the growing problem of dementia.
“We do know that it is increasing exponentially every year, in fact, we know that dementia doubles every five years after the age of 65,” Hastings said.
More information on stokes and dementia can be found here.
