Knowing health risks, interpreting symptoms, reacting quickly – education can save lives. The Central Clinic is actively involved in the “Lifetime is a Matter of the Heart” campaign . On May 22, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a team from the Bad Berka Central Clinic, led by PD Dr. Albrecht Kunze, Chief Physician of the Neurology Clinic , and Prof. Dr. Harald Lapp, Chief Physician of Cardiology, will be available at Goetheplatz in Weimar to answer questions about strokes and heart attacks ( information flyer pdf ). The traditionally red information bus is easily recognizable.
Those interested have the opportunity to have their personal risk of diabetes or cardiovascular disease and thus of stroke tested. For example, blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels are measured. An ultrasound device is also available, as is the option of checking the risk of peripheral vascular disease. Information materials provide additional information about risk factors, including atrial fibrillation, a cardiac arrhythmia that is often diagnosed too late.
“Our commitment as a clinic goes far beyond the actual care of patients,” says PD Dr. Kunze. “By advising people on site, we want to contribute to raising awareness and, ideally, prevent strokes. Should a stroke occur, we would like to remind people above all that they need to seek help quickly in a professional center with a stroke unit, because time is everything.”
An example of risk: More than 425 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes. Over 212 million of them are not diagnosed. By 2045, the number of people with diabetes is expected to rise to 629 million worldwide. 80 percent of all type 2 diabetics die as a result of cardiovascular disease, which includes stroke and not just heart attacks. But even slightly elevated blood sugar levels increase the risk of a stroke. Overall, diabetics have a five to seven times higher risk of developing a stroke than non-diabetics.
