More than 90 percent of cerebrovascular disease incidents are preventable, said health officials while presenting advice for the public earlier last week, ahead of World Stroke Day yesterday.
Ministry of Health and Welfare data showed that cerebrovascular disease last year accounted for one death every 42 minutes in Taiwan, and ranks fifth out of the top 10 causes of death in the nation.
The public is advised to make changes for starting healthy habits, through self-monitoring and identifying risk factors, thereby helping to lower the risk of stroke, Health Promotion Administration officials said on Thursday.
Photo courtesy of the Health Promotion Administration
For cerebral infarctions, or strokes affecting the brain, the eight major risk factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, an irregular heart beat, insufficient exercise, being overweight or obese, cigarette smoking and a family history of strokes, said Taiwan Stroke Society board member Chen Lung (陳龍).
National Cheng Kung University Hospital doctor Su Hui-chen (蘇慧真) added that in addition to taking medicine to control the “three high indices” of blood lipids, blood sugar and blood pressure, patients often ignore the need to quit smoking and to get regular exercise, and being unable to have the willpower to change to healthier habits, which could result in more serious blood vessel constriction and the reoccurrence of a stroke.
“Patients have eating and living habits similar to their family members, so they must also monitor their own physical conditions. Medical and nursing staff could provide health education materials for patient’s families, helping reduce stroke risk factors, as they are exposed to the same factors in daily life,” she said.
HPA officials also suggested that patients and their family members write down their current health conditions and questions, including those pertaining to stroke risk factors, getting to know the stages of cerebrovascular disease, the effects of prescribed medicine and health check-ups, helping in discussing and receiving advice from the attending doctor and nursing staff, which could also bring better awareness to one’s own body and fitness conditions.
HPA officials said they are working with the Taiwan Stroke Society this year to start pilot projects in cooperation with hospitals to assess the eight major risk factors for strokes to come up with personalized health advisory for patients, which stands at more than 500 cases, as patients have reported improvement in measured indices for blood lipids, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Data from the National Health Insurance Administration showed that Taiwan in 2021 had 437,000 cases requiring hospitalization, afflicted with cerebrovascular disease, which was seventh in ranking for figures in the nation’s overall expenditure on medical treatment, recovery and therapy costs.
The ministry has announced that starting next month, there is to be a coverage expansion under the National Health Insurance program to lengthen the time for those suffering from acute ischemic stroke who need an intra-arterial mechanical thrombectomy procedure and other benefits to improve patient prognosis.
Additional reporting by Jason Pan
The Grand Hotel Taipei on Saturday confirmed that its information system had been illegally accessed and expressed its deepest apologies for the concern it has caused its customers, adding that the issue is being investigated by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau. The hotel said that on Tuesday last week, it had discovered an external illegal intrusion into its information system. An initial digital forensic investigation confirmed that parts of the system had been accessed, it said, adding that the possibility that some customer data were stolen and leaked could not be ruled out. The actual scope and content of the affected data
DO THEY BITE IT? Cats have better memories than people might think, but their motivation is based entirely around the chance of getting fed Cats can remember the identity of the people who fed them the day before, Taipei-based veterinarians said on Friday, debunking a popular myth that cats have a short memory. If a stray does not recognize the person who fed them the previous day, it is likely because they are not carrying food and the cat has no reason to recognize them, said Wu Chou Animal Hospital head Chen Chen-huan (陳震寰). “When cats come to a human bearing food, it is coming for the food, not the person,” he said. “The food is the key.” Since the cat’s attention is on the food, it
Taiwan must act to preempt potential Section 301 investigations as US President Donald Trump moves to a new tariff strategy, following a US Supreme Court ruling that voided tariff measures, an academic said yesterday. Countries running the largest trade surpluses with the US face a growing likelihood of Section 301 investigations, Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research president Lien Hsien-ming (連賢明) said. Section 301 refers to a provision of the Trade Act of 1974 that allows Washington to impose retaliatory tariffs over perceived unfair trade practices, including the running of large trade surpluses. Because Taiwan has become the fourth-largest source of the US’ trade
People hold incense and pray with offerings in front of Taipei’s Kuanghwa Market yesterday. The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is traditionally about welcoming the God of Wealth, during which companies and shops set off firecrackers to celebrate their reopening and pray for good business in the new year.
RSS