ILOILO City – Stroke cases brought to the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) have sharply increased, with the region’s largest government hospital now handling an average of four to five stroke patients daily, prompting neurologists to intensify calls for healthier lifestyles and early risk-factor management amid a growing number of younger victims.
Doctors from WVMC warned that many stroke cases are occurring among people in their productive years, with patients as young as 20 to 30 years old now being diagnosed with the condition.
“We want to address the increasing number of stroke cases nga ginadala sa amon kag most of these cases are actually middle aged, 30 to 50 years old, the working group, and most of these cases are severe stroke,” said Dr. Ryndell Alava, chairperson of the Department of Neuroscience and head of the Brain and Spine Center of WVMC.
In 2017, WVMC received 951 cases; 1,063 cases in 2018; 975 cases in 2019; 120 cases in 2020; and 200 cases in 2021.
In 2024, WVMC received over 800 stroke cases, and in 2025 there were 2,400 cases.
Alava and Dr. Dureza C. Abad, consultant neurologist and head of WVMC’s Stroke Services, urged the public to adopt healthier habits and closely monitor key health indicators to reduce their risk of suffering a stroke.
“Amo gid na ang number one nga puede naton mahimu agud malikawan ang stroke. Kun wala ka pa sang risk factor like high blood, you continue to do the six foundations of brain health. Kun may ara ka risk factors, observe al healthy lifestyle and take your medication religiously,” Alava said.
The six foundations of brain health, he stressed, are (1) exercise three to four times a week, (2) eat right, (3) sleep well, (4) control risks, (5) mental fitness, and (6) interact.
‘Know your numbers’
“Kun may ara ka sang risk factors, kinahanglan know your numbers to reduce the risk,” Abad said.
Doctors identified blood pressure (less than 130 over 90), blood sugar (sugar less than seven percent), cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol, less than 100), body mass index, and waist circumference as key measurements that should be monitored regularly.
Alava said around 80 percent of stroke cases are preventable through proper management of risk factors.
“Stroke is not really a disease but a manifestation of underlying problems,” Alava stressed.
To help the public recognize stroke symptoms, doctors urged everyone to remember the acronym B.E.F.A.S.T. — Balance loss, Eye problems, Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty and Time to seek emergency care.
According to Alava, stroke is the sudden drop or stoppage of blood flow to the brain. Brain needs oxygen from the blood to function.
There are two types of stroke, he added – ischemic stroke (a clot blocks blood flow to an area of the brain) and hemorrhagic stroke (bleeding occurs inside the brain tissue).
“Time is brain. A stroke is a medical emergency that requires urgent treatment. The sooner a person arrives at the hospital, is assessed by a doctor, and receives a brain scan, the less damage is likely to happen. This results in better outcomes and less disability,” Alava added./PN
