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 in conjunction with International 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 that men are 15 per cent 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.