News Focus

The changing face of stroke care

Alex Turnbull looks at efforts to improve stroke after-care in the wake of the pandemic

ADOBE

Mortality rates from stroke are declining, but more survivors means more demand for complex after-care

Stroke is still one of the most common causes of death in the UK, thought to be the fourth biggest killer, yet a new study suggests that the British public is poorly informed on their impact, despite the fact that the number of people with strokeinducing heart conditions is at all-time high.

According to the study from the Stroke Association, the public is largely unaware of the dangers of strokes. Half of people (46%) think that the number of deaths from stroke has increased in the last 10 years. The research also revealed that almost a fifth of people (18%) underestimate the impact of stroke, believing that stroke ranks lower than its actual position as the fifth leading cause of disability (and death combined) in the UK. In fact, two thirds of people who survive a stroke find themselves living with a disability.

‘Unfortunately, there is low awareness of stroke and its devastating effects. Over a quarter [27%] of the population don’t know that a stroke occurs in the brain, the control centre for who we are and what we can do and it affects people differently. In the past, it was thought that nothing could be done to help people rebuild their lives after stroke, but thankfully, this is changing. With the number of strokes set to nearly double by 2035, it’s never been more important to invest in stroke research,’ said Charlotte Nicholls, the Stroke Association’s Head of Policy and Influencing.

Lending weight to this call for increased ibnvestment, recent British Heart Foundation (BHF) research shows that atrial fibrillation, a condition linked to stroke, is at an all time high amongst the British public, having increased by 72% in England since 2002.

The researchers found that the increase in atrial fibrillation is linked to an ageing and more unhealthy population, which is putting immense pressure on healthcare services. Over the study, more people were living with other health conditions at the time of their diagnosis (including high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity), and the number of people with three or more other health conditions increased from 48% in 1998 to

“The increase in atrial fibrillation is thought to be linked to an ageing and more unhealthy population”

68% in 2017.

‘The sheer rise in the number of people now living with AF is staggering, and yet on top of this, many more people will be unaware that they also have this hidden stroke risk in their heart,’ said Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, BHF’s Medical Director.

‘This research also highlights the health inequity that exists in AF and other health conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure that contribute to its development. It emphasises that we need more targeted prevention strategies and new innovations to equip doctors to better detect the condition early so people can benefit from anti-clotting drugs and other life-saving treatment.’

The pandemic Like just about every facet of healthcare in the UK, stroke care was severely impacted by the rise of COVID-19 in 2020. Research shows that 39% of stroke survivors who had a stroke in 2020 said they had not received enough rehabilitation therapies, including physio therapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. This figure is even higher (56%) for those who had their stroke just before the pandemic (in January or February), a forgotten cohort of stroke survivors left behind in the rush to respond to COVID-19.

‘These individuals are now at risk of experiencing more long-term and complex disabilities than they otherwise would have – impacts that are devastating for the stroke survivor themselves and also more costly to the health and social care system,’ added Ms Nicholls.

Healthcare Ltd

MA

2022

©

6 | Independent Nurse | June 2022

www.independentnurse.co.uk