Greeks suffer more strokes than heart attacks

The number of Greeks suffering strokes outnumber those getting heart attacks according to a medical report set to be unveiled at a clinical cardiology congress scheduled to take place in Athens on Apri 25-26.

The report reveals that every year the number of Greeks suffering a stroke rises to about 35,000, as opposed to 20,000 who experience heart attacks. Meanwhile, strokes and heart attacks were on a par in most European countries.

The principal reasons behind these findings, experts said, pointed to Greece’s ageing population and a lack of adequate specialized units for the prevention of strokes. Greeks were prone to hypertension, while only one in three controlled their blood pressure, the study found.

At the same time years of recession had also led a number of patients suffering from heart diseases to forego treatments due to the cost.