[Closed] Is the increased occurrence of radio adverts about strokes linked to...

Those adverts have been about for years.

The "FAST" thing is even taught on First Aid courses, I think around 10 years.

There were loads last year. And the year before. The F.A.S.T. campaign comes in waves (more effective that way than a slow constant drip) and has NOTHING to do with the vaccine rollout.

Nah, there's a stroke awareness poster in my surgery that's tied to a TV advert and it's from 2009 (as I checked the other day)

Over 100,000 folks will have a stroke in the UK this year, and it's a common problem that we're forever raising awareness about, so the ad comes around on telly and the radio quite often.

I guess it depends what station/ad provider they are using. Ads tend to go in cycles so it wouldn't be unusual to hear a batch of fresh ads.

I have always noticed the stroke ads - the FAST branding etc feels like it's never been away from the airwaves.

It may be a bit conspiratorial to make the links to Covid - has a link been announced?

Perhaps it's more due to the fact that I'm only recently listening to trash radio (Capital) now that the kids are dictating listening choices more in the car.

As for first aid, and surgeries.... well yes, of course it's always featured prominently there, that's what first aid and doctors are about. I just don't recall it being fed to Joe public as much. Though it clearly has.

Many thanks

It may be a bit conspiratorial to make the links to Covid

it’s not the vaccine you should be worried about  - it’s covid itself - it comes with quite a marked increased in risk of stroke

Is there a link between strokes and the C-19 vaccination? I must have missed that 😕

My Mum had a stroke at new year and thankfully my Dad dad called 999 promptly because she had the classic symptoms that are flagged in those ads that have been running for years.

When discussing it with the missus she reckoned it was because they are expecting an increase due to the Covid vaccinations.

Only if you take your tinfoil hat off

The ads have been on telly for years as well. It's really nothing new.

Is there a link between strokes and the C-19 vaccination? I must have missed that 😕

Blood clots appear to be a side affect of the AZ-vaccine in the "getting hit by a meteor" range of probabilities. If you got one, and it made it's way to your brain, you'd likely have a stroke.

I agree with everybody else though, it's just a period PSA reminder.

Perhaps it’s more due to the fact that I’m only recently listening to trash radio (Capital) now that the kids are dictating listening choices more in the car.

I was going to make a snide comment about commercial radio, but Classic FM is a lot better than Radio 3 (as far as my populist taste in classical goes... :-$ ). Do the yoof really prefer Capital to Radio 1?

You're much more likely to get a stroke as a result of catching Covid than any form of blood clot from a vaccine.
Catching Covid is a significant health risk.
Vaccines are not.
Stroke awareness similar to those adverts has been around for years. Maybe it just rose to the top of the public health funding queue (similar adds all over my facebook feed) or maybe there are more people having strokes either due to contracting Covid or due to other medical issues being untreated due to the NHS backlog caused by the Covid pandemic.

 just a period PSA reminder

What if you don't have periods? I'm here all week, try the steak.

Do the yoof really prefer Capital to Radio 1?

Kiss is where the yoot are now. Get with the programme! (From the trendy old bloke).

Good god, Kiss *shudders*. Not sure if that's even worse than BBC local radio 😉 . So glad the plumber I had round last week had Radio 1 on all day.

The recovery from stroke is so much better the earlier it's dealt with. It's something that the sufferer is very unlikely to be able to diagnose or deal with themselves so education of the gen pop can make a massive difference to survival/recovery rates.

I would have thought that is reason enough to advertise. Rather than some conspiracy theory.

It's amazing we don't come out of school with such knowledge as first aid and such, seems like such a wasted opportunity.

Good god, Kiss *shudders*. Not sure if that’s even worse than BBC local radio 😉 . So glad the plumber I had round last week had Radio 1 on all day.

I thought trades had to listen to Heart.

Blood clots appear to be a side affect of the AZ-vaccine in the “getting hit by a meteor” range of probabilities. If you got one, and it made it’s way to your brain, you’d likely have a stroke.

Sort of. Strokes are usually caused by blood clots in the arteries of the neck (or brain itself, or occasionally from the heart/other places). However, the specific type of clotting disorder that appears to be linked with the AZ vaccine is distinct from that and seems to have a preponderance for causing an unusual blood clot in the veins of the brain. This tends to cause headaches and some, usually more vague, neurological symptoms like drowsiness or confusion. Some people would call that a stroke but it wouldn't fit the FAST criteria others have mentioned.

Also the risk of this following a dose of AZ is of the order of 4 per million (age dependent). If you're over 60, the risk of a common-or-garden stroke is of the order of 0.5 - 1 % per year.

Perhaps the stroke people are using heightened awareness of 'blood clots' to drive home their message. But if you know even a little bit about these syndromes, you'll know they're not really related to the vaccine.

Thing about strokes is that the earlier the symptoms are recognised and professional medical help provided the better recovery the patient will make, so makes sense to continually raise awareness on the symptoms and probably why its been a running campaign for as long as I can remember, and been a key feature in all the First Aid courses I've been on over the years.

It’s amazing we don’t come out of school with such knowledge as first aid and such, seems like such a wasted opportunity.

Very much this - i remember my daughter doing some age appropriate first aid with Rainbows when she was about 6, organised by BHF. Was more about how to get help than delivering CPR at that stage, but its weird first aid is not a higher priority.

Recently had the uncomfortable "we're going to need first aiders training up when we go back to the office" conversation, with everyone sat on their hands. We are a civil service department, not a sawmill, don’t see why people wouldn't want training.

But if you know even a little bit about these syndromes, you’ll know they’re not really related to the vaccine.

^^^ That wasn't intended to sound as rude as it did - sorry!

I meant I am not an expert -I know a little bit. Strokes in the way we (both us doctors and the general public) usually use that term are not really related to the AZ vaccine - at least not that we know of at the moment.

We are a civil service department, not a sawmill, don’t see why people wouldn’t want training.

Yeah that is weird, I'd be right in there with my hand waving.

Anecdotally (friend is a consultant neurologist) since CV there's been a marked decrease in the number of people presenting at A&E with strokes and those that do are often presenting later. Given the time criticality of treatment reminding people of the symptoms and urging them to get help fast seems sensible.

Sort of. Strokes are usually caused by blood clots in the arteries of the neck (or brain itself, or occasionally from the heart/other places). However, the specific type of clotting disorder that appears to be linked with the AZ vaccine is distinct from that and seems to have a preponderance for causing an unusual blood clot in the veins of the brain. This tends to cause headaches and some, usually more vague, neurological symptoms like drowsiness or confusion. Some people would call that a stroke but it wouldn’t fit the FAST criteria others have mentioned.

Also the risk of this following a dose of AZ is of the order of 4 per million (age dependent). If you’re over 60, the risk of a common-or-garden stroke is of the order of 0.5 – 1 % per year.

Cerebral veinus thrombosis - it’s what my girlfriend died from four weeks ago, about a week, week and a half after having the AZ vaccine. She was 55.
She had been complaining about headaches and migraines, but she regularly had both, as well as minor seizures and the (very) occasional major seizure and took Epilim as a result of suffering a sub-arachnoid haemorrhage about twelve years ago, so we didn’t really make a link to the vaccine. Maybe, if a possible link had been given greater publicity, I would have insisted she speak to her surgury, but we just assumed it was just her feeling a bit under the weather, which wasn’t unusual.
I miss her so much, and her funeral next Tuesday is something that I’m dreading, it’s just going to be me, her mum, and her two daughters, as far as I know. 😢

I'm so sorry to hear that. Deepest sympathies.