This week, the Ministry of Health published a study proving the existence of striking social inequalities in the face of cerebral vascular accidents. The details of Géraldine Zamansky, journalist for the Health magazine on France 5.
franceinfo: This study really shows that the standard of living modifies the risk of stroke and to keep more or less sequelae?
Geraldine Zamansky: Absolutely, it was carried out by the DREES, the statistics service of the Ministry of Health. And the essential is summed up in the title. I quote: “In France, strokes are more frequent, more serious and less often treated in a specialized unit for the most modest people.”
A terrible finding. Because these cerebral vascular accidents are therefore sudden anomalies in the arrival of blood in the brain. Either because a vessel is clogged: then, oxygen no longer reaches certain areas where the neurons risk dying. Either because a vessel is punctured and creates a haemorrhage which is also dangerous.
And the brain being in control of our body, the damage generated can have different consequences on the possibility of moving, speaking, thinking…
/2022/02/11/phptV7byL.jpg)
But how can there be a direct link between these vessel problems in the brain, and the wealth of those affected?
The authors of this study point out that a link has already been identified between low income and the major causes of stroke. That is to say living conditions and food favoring diabetes and arterial hypertension, which damage the vessels. Or smoking. And this study shows not only that the less wealthy are more at risk of having a stroke, but that in addition, they will keep more heavy sequelae, such as paralysis.
These differences were observed for similar strokes at the start, but how can money transform the consequences, it is through private care?
This would be mainly related to the lead time. Because today there are specialized services capable of diagnosing a blocked vessel, for example, and unblocking it! This limits the death of neurons and therefore the sequelae. But you have to arrive in time.
However, the warning symptoms would be less known by the underprivileged populations. So, of course, other actions are needed, but already, to improve the information. The signs that are easier to spot are partial paralysis, in an arm or a leg, or in the face with a twisted mouth. Words that come out haphazardly or not at all.
But beware, problems with balance, vision or a kind of confusion can also reflect a stroke. The reflex is then 15. And even if it passes after a few minutes. This can be a so-called transient accident, which announces something more serious. Nothing should be minimized with these types of symptoms!
The DRESS study