Browsing by Author "Acharya, SR"
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Publication Knowledge of Stroke among Hypertensive Patients in Dhulikhel(Kathmandu University, 2022) Nepal, GM; Chand, P; Poudel, K; Acharya, SRABSTRACT Background More than 50% of patients with stroke have hypertension, a common modifiable risk factor for stroke. Studies reported that 90% of diagnosed hypertensive patients do not seek for treatment in Nepal and the reason for this remains unexplored. There is a possibility that lack of knowledge of stroke and its potential causes may be the reason. Objective To assess the knowledge of stroke in a group of patients with hypertension in suburban Nepal. Method Hypertensive patients visiting a tertiary care hospital in Nepal were approached and were included if they were 18 years or older. We used the Nepali version of ‘Awareness of Stroke, Risk Factors, and Treatment’ questionnaire to assess the knowledge of stroke. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results. Result A total of 273 patients were included with the mean age of 56 years. Almost half (48%) of the patients were uneducated. We found that only 24% of the patients identified brain as an organ affected by stroke, only 32% were aware about more than one warning signs of stroke, 64% reported that they were unaware of the treatment options for stroke and only 5% reported control of blood pressure as a part of stroke management. The commonest reported identifiable risk factor for hypertension was high blood pressure (44%). Conclusion There are significant knowledge gaps regarding stroke in hypertensive patients. Although most patients recognized hypertension as a risk factor for stroke, they were unaware of treatment options. Increasing awareness of hypertension as a risk factor for stroke may help to prevent the stroke burden in Nepal. KEY WORDS Awareness, Hypertension, Knowledge, Stroke