Approximately 40,000 Australians are affected by stroke each year, says Dr Ted Stewart-Wynne, of Mercy Medical Centre, Perth. Of these, around one third die, one third become permanently disabled and one third make a reasonable recovery. The overall incidence of stroke is declining, but the ageing of the population will mean an increase in elderly stroke patients as stroke incidence rises sharply with increasing age. The latest issue of Australian Prescriber reports on current practice in managing acute stroke.
Most strokes are due to ischaemia an inadequate blood supply to part of the brain.
Aspirin remains a well proven agent for this type of stroke. Medicines to dissolve clots are potentially effective, but need to be given as early as possible after the onset of symptoms and also involve some risk of causing bleeding in the brain.