The Australian Men’s Health Forum has developed a male-focused Stroke Prevention Awareness Poster as part of its ongoing Know Your Man Facts campaign.
According to Stroke Foundation – Australia – 27,428 Australians experienced stroke for the first time in their lives in 2020, which equates to one stroke every 19 minutes.
400 men a week have a stroke, and men aged 55-74 are twice as likely as women to have a stroke.
Speaking on ABC News (23 October 2023), Dr Norman Swan said the Lancet Urology had predicted doubling of deaths from stroke over the next 30 years, particularly in people under 55 because of obesity, diabetes, lack of exercise and inadequate treatment of factors like blood pressure.
He said stroke deaths had declined by 2-3% over the last 30 years in Australia, but had lifted since the COVID19 pandemic, most likely due to an increase in obesity and diabetes.
The Australian Men’s Health Forum will host a special ‘Strokes and Men’ webinar on Wednesday 7 August 2024 as part of its on-going commitment to raise health literacy among males in Australia. Details to follow.
According to the Stroke Foundation, 45% of Aussie blokes don’t know what the common signs of a stroke might look like and may not call for help quickly enough.
More than 4 in 5 strokes are preventable. There are several things you can do to help prevent a stroke (or another stroke).
Work with your doctor to treat any conditions that can increase your risk of having a stroke, such as:
- high blood pressure
- diabetes
- high cholesterol
- atrial fibrillation
You can also reduce your risk of stroke by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including by:
- staying active
- eating well
- quitting smoking
- drinking alcohol in moderation