Saudi Stroke Society

The Saudi Stroke Association is a Saudi medical scientific society, comprising a number of doctors and researchers in the field of stroke. It is dedicated to educating the community about the symptoms of stroke and its prevention methods in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Additionally, it contributes to enhancing the level of professional training within the association.

A stroke is also known as a brain clot, and it is a sudden interruption in blood flow to the brain, due to a blockage in the arteries leading to the brain, or bleeding in the brain tissue.

The Saudi Commission for Health Specialties approved in 2006 the establishment of the Saudi Stroke Association upon the request of a Saudi consultative group for stroke control. In 2007, the general assembly was held in King Fahad Medical City, and its board members were appointed. The association was then officially established, setting out its regulations and objectives, in addition to establishing various committees to serve the community.

The society set several strategic objectives to serve the health sector, including: developing the intellectual, professional, and scientific practice of its members in the field of stroke, providing opportunities for all professionals to participate in the scientific advancement in the field of stroke, establishing a national registry for stroke, and exchanging and facilitating scientific information between the community and various institutions inside and outside the Kingdom.

The society also aims to provide consultations and conduct studies that in turn contribute to improving care in the field of stroke and its relationship with other medical organizations. It focuses on the standards of practices for stroke management and participates in maintaining and overseeing the standards of care for stroke patients, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom and the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. The association also contributes to raising societal awareness about the field of stroke.

Symptoms that warn of a stroke include sudden weakness in the face, arm, or leg, in addition to other symptoms such as a drooping smile, inability to speak or understand speech, weakness in raising the arm, or sudden vision problems. Other symptoms include difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance, and sudden headache. The causes leading to a stroke vary, including: heart diseases, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, obesity, lack of physical activity, alcohol consumption, drug use, and those most commonly over the age of sixty. Additionally, younger men are at risk, as well as genetics and ethnicity play a role in its occurrence.