29 October is World Stroke Day: [Awareness Survey on Cerebral Infarction] Even when symptoms appear, 1 in 2.5 people “wait and see” or “do not know what to do”

A survey of awareness of cerebral infarction was conducted among 1,000 men and women aged 20 to 69 nationwide, and found that only 6.3% could explain the distinctions among types of stroke. Understanding of risk factors for cerebral infarction was high, with hypertension, a high-salt diet, smoking and alcohol consumption among the most widely recognized factors. On the other hand, improving lifestyle habits such as lack of exercise, stress and insufficient sleep was identified as an issue for everyday prevention.

Awareness was high for early symptoms of cerebral infarction such as difficulty speaking clearly, numbness in the arms and legs, and facial drooping, but 22.5% of respondents said they did not know the early symptoms. Regarding the time available to begin treatment, “do not know” was the most common response at 36.0%, while only about 40% believed treatment must begin within 3 hours.

Even when signs of onset appeared, only 59.8% said they would immediately visit a hospital or call an ambulance, while about 40.2% said they would “wait and see” or did not know what to do. The findings indicated that respondents recognized that cerebral infarction is a condition in which time can determine the outcome and that taking appropriate action may significantly affect the prognosis.

The investigational cerebral infarction drug candidate TMS-007 has shown signs of safety and is believed to have the potential to extend the treatment time window after onset. The findings included results from a clinical trial designed to assess administration beyond the 4.5-hour standard for current thrombolytic therapy, showing a statistically significant difference from placebo in functional recovery at 90 days.