In Malaysia, stroke was recorded as the second leading cause of death according to the Malaysian National Burden of Diseases Study and study on vital registry system in 2000. The prevalence of stroke is estimated to be 0.3% among Malaysians during the third National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) in 2006. In the fourth NHMS survey in 2011, the prevalence of stroke was reported as 0.7%. However, only few people know the symptoms and immediate responses to a sudden stroke attack. (Aziz et al., 2015)
Despite there being a few classification of strokes, early medical management is important to reduce further damages to the brain tissues. Delay of treatment can bring lifetime complications to the patient, which includes cognitive and physical disabilities. Hence, we would like to promote the acronym BE FAST [balance, eyes, face, arm, speech, and time] to help people recognize the symptoms of stroke and facilitate rapid access to medical care.
References:
1. Aziz, Z., Lee, Y. Y., Awang Ngah, B., Sidek, N. N., Looi, I., Hanip, M. R., & Basri, H. (2015). Acute Stroke Registry Malaysia, 2010-2014: Results from the National Neurology Registry. Journal of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases: the official journal of National Stroke Association.
2. Benjamin EJ, Blaha MJ, Chiuve SE, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics — 2017 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;135(10):e146-e603.