3 minutes | Tuesday, 24 April 2018
Almost three quarters of UK Asians are unaware that their ethnicity puts them at a higher risk of stroke and nearly a third don’t know that strokes are preventable, according to a new survey commissioned by the Stroke Association.
In the UK, stroke is the fourth biggest killer and the leading cause of disability. Studies suggest South Asian people tend to have strokes 10 years earlier and are almost twice as likely to develop diabetes, which is a key risk factor for stroke.
The Stroke Association is highlighting these statistics to support its Know Your Blood Pressure campaign, urging people of South Asian heritage to get their blood pressure checked so that they can reduce their risk of stroke. Having high blood pressure can triple your risk of stroke and contributes to half of all strokes in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Despite this it is estimated that there are more than 5.5 million people in England alone who have undiagnosed high blood pressure.
Esmee Russell from the Stroke Association joined us on the line.