Vietnam records around 200,000 stroke cases each year, with the average age of patients at about 65, according to Nguyen Huy Thang, chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Stroke Association and vice chairman of the Vietnam Stroke Association.

People under 45 now account for 7.2% of cases, a proportion that is rising, he reminded.

Younger patients are increasingly affected by lifestyle-related factors such as obesity, smoking, high sugar intake and physical inactivity, rather than hypertension, Thang said.

Presentations at the conference highlighted advances in acute stroke management, including thrombolysis, endovascular intervention, medical therapy and early rehabilitation. Experts stressed that bringing patients to specialised facilities within the first six hours after symptom onset is crucial to reducing death and long-term disability.

Yuka Terasawa, director of the Stroke Centre and head of neurology at Ota Memorial Hospital in Japan, introduced Japan’s multidisciplinary stroke-care model, which provides comprehensive assessment and early rehabilitation to help patients regain independence and improve quality of life.

Alongside treatment, experts urged the public to prioritise prevention by maintaining a healthy lifestyle, controlling body weight, limiting alcohol consumption, avoiding smoking, staying physically active and undergoing regular health check-ups. They stressed that people showing warning signs such as facial drooping, weakness or numbness in the limbs, or speech difficulties should be taken immediately to a medical facility capable of providing stroke treatment for timely intervention.

The conference, bringing together specialists from the United States, Japan and Vietnam, was seen as an important platform to update medical knowledge, share international experience and help improve the quality of stroke care in Vietnam.

Cold weather drives surge in stroke cases nationwide, doctors warn

VOV.VN - Prolonged cold spells affecting large parts of Vietnam have raised growing concerns over public health, with hospitals reporting a sharp rise in stroke admissions during colder days.