More cases of stroke among men at Soroti Hospital- expert

A senior physician at Soroti Regional Referral Hospital has expressed concern over the persistent number of higher cases of stroke among men that are being registered at the health facility for admission as compared to their female counterparts.
Soroti Hospital Dr Wilson Etolu told Monitor that out of every 10 cases registered, 6 are men while 4 are women.
According to him, cases of stroke continue to rise and for many, the underlying causes remain unseen but include high blood pressure, diabetes and many others.
Dr Etolu noted that out of 55 patients who were admitted in 2023 due to stroke, 38 survived and 17 died.
“Stroke is a dangerous disease that if not managed leads to loss of life,” he noted.
Soroti Hospital data suggests that stroke is mostly common among people aged above 40 with pressure, diabetes and HIV/ Aids. Smokers, alcoholics and people with lots of fats are also marked as those at “high risk of stroke.” 
“Out of 10 stroke patients, 8 suffer from blood clots and 2 suffer from bleeding into the brain,”Dr Etolu highlighted on Wednesday.  
According to Dr Etolu, stroke paralyzes one side of the body and may affect the eyesight, speech, walking, eating and urinating which he says is very dangerous.
Dr Etolu advises people to seek medical attention once they realize they are paralyzed so that major diagnostic procedures can be carried out to ascertain health conditions.
Seventy-year-old Soroti City resident Hellen Ikiror, a person living with disability, suffered a stroke in June 2024 after being diagnosed with high blood pressure. 
“I have remained paralyzed, my hands cannot do anything and cannot walk again but the pressure is now normal," Ikiror said before she also advised patients “to always avoid self-prescription.”
About stroke
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines stroke as rapidly developed clinical signs of focal (or global) disturbance of cerebral function, lasting more than 24 hours or leading to death, with no apparent cause other than of vascular origin.