IGMH: Over 500 people hospitalized for strokes last year

Over 500 people were hospitalized for strokes at the main government hospital in Male’ last year alone, according to the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

In an appearance on PSM’s ‘Raajje Miadhu’ show on Friday night, Dr. Ali Aafee, a consultant subspecialist in neurosurgery, noted that global data shows a 50 percent increase in reported cases of strokes.

Meanwhile, the overall lifetime risk of having a stroke from age 25 is 25 percent; 24.7 percent for men and 25.1 percent for women.

“The lifetime risk for adults above the age of 25 is one in four, meaning a stroke risk of 25 percent. Therefore, strokes have become very common, even globally,” he said.

Highlighting on the situation in the Maldives, Aafee said that over 500 patients were hospitalized for strokes at IGMH last year alone.

“Looking at the situation in the Maldives, IGMH data alone shows over 500 patients were admitted to the IGMH for strokes last year alone,” he said.

Aafee warned that the risk of stroke for young adults has been increasing.

“Our statistics show 15 percent of stroke patients were young adults,” he said. 

Dr. Salman Nizam, a fellow consultant subspecialist in neurology at the IGMH, highlighted on various risk factors for strokes, the chief of which is hypertension.

Salman stressed that skipping or failing to take prescribed blood pressure or diabetes medication put people at significant risk of stroke.

People suffering from heart conditions and arrythmias such as atrial fibrillation and people with high cholesterol are also at high risk.

“Sometimes, a stroke could be the result of an infection. There are a lot of risk factors. People with kidney disease, blood lipids outside normal range… There are a lot of factors. I also want to note that smoking is also a risk factor for stroke, as is physical inactivity and excess weight. These are all major risk factors for stroke,” he said.

Salman highlighted on the B.E. F.A.S.T. acronym - a quick tool used to spot the warning signs of a stroke and get emergency help right away.

B.E. F.A.S.T. warning signs

• B – Balance: Sudden loss of balance, trouble walking, or dizziness.
• E – Eyes: Sudden vision changes, blurred vision, double vision, or loss of sight in one or both eyes.
• F – Face Drooping: One side of the face droops or feels numb. Ask the person to smile to check if it is uneven.
• A – Arm Weakness: Sudden weakness or numbness in one arm. Ask the person to raise both arms to see if one drifts downward.
• S – Speech Difficulty: Slurred speech or trouble understanding speech. Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
• T – Time to Call Emergency Services: If you see any of these signs, call emergency services immediately.

The doctors stressed that reaching a hospital or healthcare center, one with CT scan facilities, as soon as possible is key to treating strokes.

“This is a treatable condition. But early medical intervention is crucial,” said Aafee.

IGMH has previously stated that the hospital takes in a new stroke patient every 16 hours.