Older stroke patients might miss out on care

As a non-doctor, I'm convinced my care was excellent. But I might have had an advantage: I was relatively young (39) when it happened.

Older stroke patients, though, might receive inadequate care, according to this study:

Older people are less likely to receive high-quality stroke care compared with younger patients, researchers warn. And this is despite evidence suggesting that care is equally effective across age groups, they note. The new studies point to ageism in stroke care — the first is published online April 16 in BMJ and the second in the March issue of the Postgraduate Medical Journal.

"We found low rates of secondary drug prevention," report the BMJ study authors, led by Rosalind Raine, PhD, professor of health-services research from University College London, in the United Kingdom.

What can a non-doctor do? First, speak up for stroke prevention. But if it happens, be an educated advocate for a loved one who becomes a stroke patient.