Stroke cases are increasing; the youngest patient treated was 16

A 16-year-old girl was the youngest stroke patient treated at the Neurology Clinic, about a month and a half ago.

Doctors are seeing an increase in cases, with particular concern over strokes occurring among younger people.

Jovan Bozhinovski, director of the Neurology Clinic, explains that risk factors fall into two categories: those that cannot be changed, such as genetic predisposition, and those that can be addressed. The latter include high blood pressure, diabetes, high blood fats, an unhealthy lifestyle, recent stress, and the use of alcohol and other psychotropic substances. According to him, these factors are contributing to the rising number of patients.

These days, teams from the Neurology Clinic are offering free preventive checks of blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol, as well as stroke risk assessments.

Around 30-40% of patients are left with permanent effects after a stroke, including paralysis, difficulty speaking and disability.

Bozhinovski emphasizes that successful treatment depends on rapid intervention. He stresses that every minute matters and that arriving at the clinic as early as possible can save a patient’s life and help them avoid disability. Stroke is among the leading diseases in terms of disability and mortality, the director said.

For World Stroke Day, the Neurology Clinic in Skopje will hold an open day for the public tomorrow, from 11:00 to 13:00. Free Doppler examinations of the carotid arteries will be offered. The examinations will be open to everyone interested during the scheduled hours, with no limit on the number of people who can take part.