Minor stroke victims 'unaware of attacks'

New research has shown people are not seeking prompt treatment for minor strokes, leading to calls for more education about the condition.

A study by the University of Oxford, published in Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association, found that up to 70 per cent of patients were not aware they had suffered a minor stroke.

The research, which analysed 541 people who had suffered a minor stroke and 459 who had transient ischemic attacks, also discovered that one-third of patients did not seek medical attention for more than 24 hours after the incident.

Arvind Chandratheva, a clinical research fellow in the Stroke Prevention Research Unit at the University of Oxford, said people in all age, gender, education and socioeconomic status demographics showed a lack of awareness in how to recognise the symptoms of the condition.

'There has been very little sustained public education [about minor attacks], but for a prolonged impact, sustained national campaigns are required,' he added.

According to the Stroke Association, around 150,000 people experience a stroke each year in the UK, equating to an attack around every five minutes.