Less than One in Four Indians aware of the symptoms of brain stroke: Brain Stroke Consumer Survey

The survey was commissioned by Boehringer Ingelheim India and conducted by IPSOS

Boehringer Ingelheim India has released the findings of India’s first consumer survey on brain stroke titled – The State of Stroke: A Survey On Awareness About Stroke In Urban India, ahead of World Brain Day, 2022. The survey was commissioned by Boehringer Ingelheim India and conducted by IPSOS, a global leader in market research.

Boehringer Ingelheim India commissioned a national survey that brought to the fore, the ‘lack of awareness around brain stroke’ in the country. The survey, conducted by IPSOS with a sample size of 4742, across 12 cities in India revealed that only 22 per cent of the respondents were aware of the risk factors and symptoms of brain stroke, and the awareness levels further drop to just 10 per cent with respect to the treatment options.

The findings of this survey pointed to lower awareness levels of disease condition, particularly in smaller towns and lower socio-economic class:

·      71 per cent of the respondents from metros were aware of the disease in comparison to only 48 per cent in mini metros

·      Compared to the National average of 70 per cent ~ only 1/3rd of the respondents in the city of Pune, Chandigarh and Lucknow recalled awareness of the term brain stroke with respondents from the East being the most aware

·      Brain stroke literacy on FAST (Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time) symptoms was uniformly low across geographies

·      Only 2 per cent of respondents from mini metros knew all three symptoms of brain stroke compared to 12 per cent of respondents from Metros

Boehringer Ingelheim India launched a website – strokeofsupport.com. The dedicated website is online stroke support and information portal designed to help both patients and caregivers.

“The report is a clarion call to improve access to quality stroke care services in India. Time saved is brain saved and considering only 20% were aware of risk factors in the cities surveyed, we need a massive awareness campaign to help families and patients identify stroke and reach hospitals on time. The patient’s group Stroke Support Alliance calls for all stakeholders to come together and save every stroke patient that can be saved,” said Dr Ratna Devi, CEO and Co-founder, DakshamA Health and Education.

“The number of stroke cases in India has increased over the past few years. Greater awareness of the disease, its symptoms, risk factors and treatment will be the need of the hour as improved knowledge of stroke will not only help people identify the condition but will also help save lives. On the occasion of ‘World Brain Day’, this survey by Boehringer Ingelheim serves as a step in the right direction, making more people aware of the impact of stroke on their lives. And remember, relatives brain used in time is equal to a patient’s brain saved in time,” said Dr Shirish Hastak, Regional Director, Neurology and Stroke, Global Hospital, Mumbai.