The number of people who die or are severely disabled by stroke each year could be substantially reduced through a cheap blood test and simple inexpensive treatment.
There is too little attention paid to stroke risk, compared with recognition of symptoms once a stroke has occurred. That is the opinion of Professor Graham Hughes, who discovered antiphospholipid syndrome, the medical condition now known as Hughes Syndrome and more colloquially as “sticky blood”. Although common, Hughes Syndrome is often unrecognised or misdiagnosed yet it is responsible for one in five strokes in the under 45s and one in five heart attacks in young (under 35) women. Every five minutes somebody in the UK has a stroke. It is the third most common cause of death, costing the NHS over £2.8 billion a year. “Anyone experiencing frequent headaches or migraine, visual disturbance or memory loss should be automatically tested for Hughes Syndrome; it should be routine,” said Prof. Hughes. “We know from patient experience that delay in diagnosis is common, with high costs to the NHS and the patient. The pity is that Hughes Syndrome is easily diagnosed and very treatable. “Very many individuals have no history of thrombosis, however the risk is there,” emphasised Prof. Hughes. “Greater awareness in the medical profession, especially at GP level, as well as the general public, would substantially reduce both financial and emotional cost,” added Prof. Hughes. “People experiencing symptoms should never hesitate to ask their GP to be tested.” A YouGov Omnibus Survey early this year (January 2009) revealed that 68% of respondents agreed with Prof. Hughes that following stroke, DVT or heart attack, people should automatically be tested for the condition.
