Latest results from Stroke Foundation’s annual awareness survey indicate that Australian men lag significantly when it comes to recognising stroke.
To combat this, Stroke Foundation has launched a campaign called Bloke Beside You encouraging Australians to tell the men in their lives about stroke risk factors and what a stroke looks like when it happens.
The campaign has drawn the support of Australians from all walks of life and is being launched during Men’s Health Week.
Recognising a stroke is happening is the first step in the critical path to survival. Stroke can be survivable if treatment is delivered within a short time frame, and that means making an immediate triple 0 call for an ambulance – but that only happens if someone recognises a stroke is occurring.
Our data shows men are less likely than women to suspect a stroke is happening if they see someone experience facial droop or slurred speech.
Asking Australians to tell a Bloke Beside You about these risk factors and signs will change the impact stroke has on this country:
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If more men recognise stroke faster, and call for help, the person experiencing a stroke has a better chance of survival and a lesser chance of permanent disability.
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If more men know that having high blood pressure and high cholesterol increases their risk of stroke, they may be encouraged to make lifestyle changes to reduce that risk.