Local Labour AM Joyce Watson is urging constituents to lead healthier lifestyles to help reduce their risk of stroke.
In the UK, someone has a stroke every five minutes. They are common among those over the age of 55, but can happen at any age. Strokes are the leading cause of disability in the UK, and the third most common cause of death, after cancer and heart disease.
A new radio campaign, Weigh Up Your Risk, from the Stroke Association, is highlighting the need for maintaining a healthy body weight to decrease high-blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
The campaign, funded by the Welsh Assembly Government as part of Health Challenge Wales, points people in the direction of the Stroke Association’s website which provides helpful tips on healthy eating, how to make regular physical activity a part of your lifestyle and further information on stroke, high blood pressure and health checks.
Joyce said: "It is so important that we all try and lead a healthier lifestyle given the high number of people suffering strokes in Wales.
"Easy lifestyle changes like regular activity, giving up smoking and eating healthy can all help reduce the chance of suffering from a stroke.
"Most people these days have a New Year’s resolution to lead healthier lifestyles and I encourage them to stick to it and get rid of that bulge to stay fit!"
The awareness drive comes on the back of a campaign Joyce started last year to end what she discovered was a postcode lottery of stroke support services in her constituency.
The mid and west Wales AM learned that two core services provided by the Stroke Association were not universally available in her region. The Communication Support service, which helps stroke survivors regain their speech, and the Family and Carer Support service, which provides practical help and emotional support were both available in Carmarthenshire and Gwynedd, but Ceredigion and Powys had neither service. Pembrokeshire just had the Communication Support service.
Joyce said she would continue her campaign for equal access to stroke services in 2009:
"I am determined to end this disparity and have contacted the Health Boards and the Health Minister to make sure that this situation does not continue."
A helpline has also been set up to provide information for anyone concerned about the risks of stroke.
The Stroke Association website can be found at http://www.stroke.org.uk, helpline number 0845 3033 100
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