Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Last week was National Stroke Week, and the message for this year's Stroke Week was know your stroke risk. The Stroke Foundation held a breakfast at Parliament House last Wednesday, and the member for Hasluck and I, as joint conveners, sponsored the breakfast along with the Stroke Foundation. Speakers at the breakfast highlighted the risk factors associated with stroke.

People ask what a stroke is. It is not a heart attack—it is a condition that affects the brain. It is the second biggest killer in Australia. A stroke happens when the supply of blood to the brain is suddenly interrupted. Blood is carried to the brain through blood vessels, called arteries, and if one of those blood vessels gets blocked the blood does not flow to the brain. It could be through a clot or plaque, or it could happen if the artery bursts. A stroke can be very debilitating, and strokes affect one in six people. It is important that people know about stroke, understand the risk factors and know who it affects.

Stroke does not discriminate on the ground of age. People tend to think of stroke as a disease of old age but in fact young children suffer strokes. The youngest constituent I have had dealings with who has had a stroke was a five-year-old girl. From being a very bright, vibrant, sporty little girl she became confined to a wheelchair, losing her ability to function as a normal child and having to rely on her parents for the most basic of tasks. Over the years I have worked in an acquired brain injury team and I have worked with people who have had strokes, and there have been people of varying ages. This year my mother-in-law had a stroke, and I have seen the impact it has had on her. She is very disabled as a result of that stroke.

We will go to what the risk factors are. That was the message of this year's Stroke Week. The risk factors are varied. If you smoke you or if you have high blood pressure you increase your risk, as you do if you drink or have ischemic heart disease, TIA or an irregular heartbeat. There are a number of factors such as those. There can be congenital issues associated with stroke as well. So it is really important for people to keep a check on their blood pressure and their cholesterol levels and know that they have a healthy heart and a healthy body. Exercise is important; it is important not to smoke; it is important not to drink too much. We have just been talking about dementia. In this parliament we have talked about many different diseases and illnesses and there are some very strong messages. If you eat properly and exercise you will reduce your chance of having a stroke or developing those illnesses.

I would like to thank the member for Hasluck for the work that he has done in this area. He is very committed to this issue. He and I encourage people to know their personal risk, be physically active, avoid obesity, limit alcohol consumption, avoid cigarette smoking and learn to recognise the warning signs—FAST: face, arms, speech and time.

Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I commend the member for Shortland on this motion. In 2008 the leading underlying cause of death for all Australians was ischemic heart disease. All of us know that, but very few really give thought to cerebrovascular disease, or stroke, which remains the second-leading underlying cause of death. Strokes cause haemorrhages, infarctions and blocked arteries of the brain.

Whilst we have been reducing the prevalence rates of strokes, it nevertheless remains a key issue that the public neither talk about nor discuss until there is an impact upon them, either personally or through a family member. A stroke can happen in two ways: either there is a blood clot or plaque that blocks a blood vessel in the brain, or an aneurysm—that is, a blood vessel in the brain that breaks or ruptures. They create a starvation of the arteries that feed the brain the blood and the oxygen it requires.

What was interesting at the launch of this week of stroke awareness was the new ad appearing on television that shows brains under containers. It was graphic, and it was shown to us at a breakfast, so while we were eating breakfast we were looking at this ad that shows the brains, and then someone inserting a scalpel, indicating that if the damage was in that area you would lose speech, you would lose facets of your five senses and you would lose bladder control. People do not think of that until stroke occurs. But I suppose the graphic ending was when he used a hammer to demonstrate that it is permanent—it is not a temporary thing.

There was a young woman who gave her story of the things that had happened to her—the event as it occurred, and what transpired after that. She was fortunate. She was near a specialised unit that deals with strokes, so she has made an incredible recovery. But we need to be aware of what the symptoms of stroke are, and what the risk factors are. Sometimes there is a temporary stroke that happens for a very short period of time—a transient ischaemic attack. Sometimes it is called a minor stroke or a mini stroke, when the signs of stroke are present but go away within 24 hours, so the term TIA is used. When people have TIAs they think that is the end of the health problem, but evidence shows that, if you ignore those warning signs—and that is a warning sign no different from the pain in the chest, for which you go to the doctor—it is often the next stage that is permanent in terms of a stroke because the damage is much more significant.

One of our challenges in the way we deliver services is the inequity in many senses between a capital city, where you can get to a stroke unit that gives you specialised support, and those in rural areas that are unlikely to have that level. But I encourage all Australians to visit www.signsofstroke.com.au because it is in visiting that site that you are asked to do a couple of things. One is to take the time to look at lifestyle and medical risks. If you have two or more within each category then it suggests that you go visit your doctor in order to ensure that you are not a high-risk factor for a stroke.

The other side of it that I have seen are the carers who look after somebody who has a stroke, particularly if it is debilitating and reduces your capacity to be the free-moving person that you were prior to a stroke. What you do is lock your partner into this 24-hour, seven-days-a-week caring role. So it is important for quality of life and it is important in terms of your health, and yet it is something that Australians do not know a great deal about. We hear that somebody has a stroke and think of it as just a small element. What we do not fully grasp is the permanency of it.

The other thing that really astounds me is the age range. It is not just an adult; it is also a child. So it is important that you become familiar. I strongly support the work of the Stroke Foundation in their endeavours to have people join with them in creating a broader awareness within Australian society.

Maria Vamvakinou (Calwell, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is a great pleasure to rise this evening to speak to the motion of the member for Shortland regarding National Stroke Week and the campaign that was run to encourage people to understand their stroke risk. The motion follows on from the very excellent presentation last Wednesday that was organised by the parliamentary friends of heart and stroke, co-chaired by the member for Hasluck and the member for Shortland. It was a function that involved the National Stroke Foundation launching their public awareness campaign, aptly named Know Your Numbers, and I want to thank them for coming to Canberra and setting up the Know Your Numbers health check stations, which gave members and their staff an opportunity to stop for a minute and take a bit of a health check. I was one of those members.

The fact is that one in every six people in Australia will suffer a stroke. It now has become Australia's second-biggest killer and a leading cause of disability amongst adults but also amongst young people. Despite this, most people prefer to believe that stroke is something that happens to other people and, alarmingly, are unaware of potentially life-saving warning signs. If we stop to think about the number of people we know personally or know of who have had a stroke—anyone from members of our family to friends and the broader neighbourhood or, indeed, to our own constituencies—I think we would realise just how vulnerable we all are, especially given the odds that I have just mentioned.

That is why motions such as this are very important: they give us an opportunity to help raise awareness both within this chamber and in our respective electorates. Simple things like making healthier lifestyle choices, improving our diet and exercising regularly will go a long way towards improving the odds of not having a stroke, and the national stroke awareness campaign does encourage people to monitor. Some of the leading indicators are high blood pressure and diabetes. So it is very important to be aware of these indicators and very important for us to assist in raising that awareness, especially in our constituents and in this country generally, where our population is ageing and there will be a greater need for awareness about all sorts of disease.

In my electorate of Calwell, I have a large ageing population which I have learnt is pretty much in the high risk category. Many of my constituents, a large number of them, are of non-English-speaking backgrounds, so I am very mindful that we need to be aware that whatever programs we are promoting and helping promote are also programs that are available to people who do not speak English, who speak other languages. There is no point in having an awareness program if it is not reaching a large number of our constituencies. For many years I personally have advocated awareness in relation to health issues in the multicultural communities and I often translate a lot of material myself, or have it translated, to ensure that my constituents get the full benefit. I would encourage us all to be conscious of the fact that we are dealing with people in our constituencies for whom English is not their first language.

I have had a look at some of the statistics in my electorate and, as I said, many of my constituents are probably candidates for a stroke. According to the National Stroke Foundation and the Victorian Department of Health, in my local government areas of Hume and Brimbank the residents are at a high risk of having not only a stroke but also contracting type 2 diabetes. Statistically, 48.6 per cent of Victorians are deemed to be overweight or obese, but in Brimbank, statistics are 52.2 per cent and in Hume that figure is 53.5 per cent. Smoking rates are also higher in my two local government areas, as is a tendency not to be involved in exercise and physical inactivity. The City of Brimbank has the seventh-highest rate of type 2 diabetes in Victoria and Hume, the other city in my electorate, has the second-highest, so raising awareness is important. I commend the member for Shortland, and I commend all other members who would speak in this debate.

Bert Van Manen (Forde, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I too wish to pass on my congratulations to the member for Shortland for bringing this motion to the House. As has been mentioned already, last week was National Stroke Week, and the purpose of this motion is to not only raise awareness of the risk of stroke, but also the preventive actions that people can take to help reduce the risk.

A stroke can happen in two main ways: either there is a blood clot or plaque that blocks the blood vessel in the brain, or a blood vessel in the brain breaks or ruptures. The focus of National Stroke Week is to encourage people to understand their stroke risk. I note that the member for Shortland's motion states:

(a) stroke remains the second biggest killer and a leading cause of disability in Australia;

(b) one in six people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime; and

(c) around 60,000 people will suffer new or recurrent strokes this year …

Many factors, some beyond our control, can lead to a stroke. However, there are some lifestyle factors which we can all act upon to reduce our risk. The factors we cannot control are age, gender and family history. However, we can improve our blood pressure, our cholesterol, our diet, our physical activity, our body weight and our alcohol consumption. Furthermore, smokers can reduce their risk by giving up the habit altogether.

Australians should all understand the signs of stroke to ensure victims receive immediate medical assistance, and these signs can best be recognised by the following acronym—FAST. F stands for face: has the mouth drooped? A stands for arms: can they move both of them? S stands for speech: is their speech slurred and can they speak? T stands for time: time is critical and you need to seek medical help as soon as possible. Stroke is one of the No. 1 killers alongside heart disease in Australia.

In the Forde electorate we have a local support group, the Beenleigh Stroke Survivors Group, which is part of the National Stroke Foundation. Some time ago this group ceased to exist, but a local constituent fresh out of university volunteered to re-establish the group, which continues to increase in size. Natalie Davis, 24, has been working with the group's membership along with the foundation to provide a place where local stroke survivors can meet to make friends with other survivors and share their stories. They meet every month, ironically at the Beenleigh McDonald's. Since they started meeting there, numbers have increased to a level where they will soon have to find a larger venue. I have been invited along to their next meeting to speak and to hear about Natalie's plans to make the group an official charity.

Over the past weekend I attended the Beenleigh show, and the Beenleigh stroke group also had a stall there. It was the first time they had set up a stall at the show and Natalie said she was surprised at the number of people who came up to the stall to share their stories of stroke survival. Natalie said that the one thing that stood out for her were the stories where the survivors had experienced stroke with children. She said there are some 20 members currently in the group but, after the weekend promotion at the show, she is expecting this number to rise. On Wednesday this week they will be holding a luncheon at the Beenleigh RSL as part of the official National Stroke Week activity. Early indications from the response they received at the show are that around 30 people may attend, along with their carers.

I want to congratulate Natalie and the people involved with the Beenleigh stroke group for the work they are doing in my local community to make the community more aware of issues to do with stroke and in providing support and assistance for those people who have suffered a stroke and for their carers. I look forward to going along to the group's next meeting. I will continue to play my part in ensuring the community understands the risk factors and the signs of stroke to ensure early medical intervention, and, equally importantly, I will seek to ensure that we educate the community in the lifestyle factors that create this issue in the first place and how we as a community can prevent those risks and stop people suffering this debilitating illness.

Janelle Saffin (Page, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to begin my contribution by thanking the honourable member for Shortland for bringing this motion before the House so that all members could have an opportunity to talk about an issue that affects so many Australians. It has been brought forward just at the tail end of National Stroke Week as well, so it is most appropriate that we are discussing it.

The Stroke Foundation has produced some useful and informative resources. They tell us that one in six people will have a stroke in their lifetime—that is a lot of Australians—and they say that, every six seconds, someone will die from stroke, but there are a lot of people who survive strokes, a lot of people who get a lot of support to survive strokes and go on to lead very useful lives. They also tell us about six steps we can take to reduce our risk of stroke, which I will read. They are to do with lifestyle. We can do these six things to help ourselves and, in terms of public health policy, we can assist.

Of course, as with any illness, there are other factors at play but we can give ourselves a helping hand. The six steps you can take to reduce your stroke risk are: know your personal risk factors; be physically active and exercise regularly; avoid obesity by keeping to a healthy diet; limit alcohol consumption; avoid cigarette smoke, and if you smoke seek help to stop now; and learn to recognise the warning signs of a stroke and act fast. They say that we should visit www.signsofstroke.com.au.

Some of those things are easier said than done and, even though some are lifestyle factors, some of them carry some sort of genetic marker. The foundation then has a checklist entitled 'What is your stroke risk? 'It lists lifestyle risks: 'I am a smoker, I have more than two standard alcoholic drinks per day, I don't exercise regularly, I don't maintain a healthy diet and I am overweight'.

Then it lists medical risks, and these are some of the ones that are really challenging: 'I have a family history of stroke,' 'I have a personal history of stroke or heart disease,' I have high blood pressure,' 'I have high blood cholesterol,' 'I have diabetes,' and, 'I have atrial fibrillation—irregular heartbeat.' 'If you have ticked one or more boxes or do not know how to answer any of these questions,' it says, 'visit your doctor and ask for a stroke and cardiovascular risk assessment.' And there is the stroke line—1800STROKE, or 1800787653. You should speak to a health professional. Like all things to do with your health, it is important to have a relationship with your GP and talk to your GP.

In New South Wales there is also the Stroke Recovery Association, and I have to say that they are very helpful in working with local groups and individuals. They were established in 1997 and they play a major role in giving support for the recovery of stroke survivors, and there are many. There are an estimated 52 stroke recovery clubs in New South Wales. There is one in Lismore, where I live, and some on the Northern Rivers. Stroke does not just strike older people, though; it also can and does afflict the young.

I remember some time back there was an announcement from our local health service that they were looking at establishing a stroke recovery unit. I am pleased to say that this will be happening. A stroke coordinator will start work in October. Their first task is to scope out the most suitable model of care. As always in a regional or rural area, you have to look at where you place the stroke recovery unit and factor in outreach support and professional development for the medical staff, but presumably it will be through Lismore Base Hospital. I am told the service will be up and running this financial year, being the financial year for health. I also know that over a year there have been about 200 admissions to Lismore Base Hospital and 60 to Ballina and Grafton hospitals. I actually have a friend in Lismore Base Hospital now who is recovering from a stroke.

Jane Prentice (Ryan, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to support the member for Shortland's motion regarding National Stroke Week, which this year was held from 10 to 16 September. Stroke is a major cause of death and disability in Australia and, as the motion notes, is the second biggest killer in the nation, affecting more than one in six Australians during their lifetime.

It is important to understand the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and the risk of having a stroke. While there are lifestyle risk factors we can control, including our level of exercise, our weight and whether we drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes, we cannot control our age, our gender or our family history. Importantly, many thousands of Australians suffer from transient ischaemic attacks known as minor strokes or ministrokes, after which the symptoms generally subside within 24 hours. These transient symptoms are often ignored, although we know that one in five people who have a TIA can suffer a major stroke within three months. These figures highlight the very pressing need for all Australians to check with their GP about their heart health and to assess their risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Last week I took the opportunity to visit the Stroke Foundation's 'Know your numbers' campaign in Parliament House, to measure my blood pressure and other risk factors. I acknowledge the important work they and their chief executive officer, Dr Erin Lalor, do in all areas of cardiovascular health to promote community awareness, improve access to treatment and services and identify gaps in stroke research.

Many thousands of Australians know the very real consequences of strokes and transient ischaemic attacks, which reduce the supply of oxygen to the brain, thereby causing neuronal cell death. Depending on the size and location of the stroke, the consequences can be very wide ranging, from barely noticeable consequences such as slight dizziness or difficulty speaking or understanding, to paralysis, coma and even death.

For centuries the accepted assumption was that the human brain was concrete and unchangeable and that brain related injuries through stroke were irreversible. Fortunately, we now know that the brain displays plasticity and that in so many areas there are ways of not just adapting to brain injuries but also in reversing the consequences. The University of Queensland in my electorate of Ryan is undertaking very important work in the areas of cardiovascular disease and stroke not only at the Queensland Brain Institute but also for the Centre for Neurogenic Communication Disorders Research at the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences and the Centre for Medical Diagnostic Technologies in Queensland at the University of Queensland. Professor Bruce Murdoch in particular is undertaking novel research into the potential of transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS, as a non-invasive therapeutic method of dealing with the consequences of stroke. Professor Murdoch's research has so far indicated positive results for patients and their quality of life. TMS could revolutionise the way we treat neurodegenerative disorders.

Dr Elisabeth Coulson at the Queensland Brain Institute has uncovered a cell death signalling pathway, P75 neurotrophin receptor protein, which is active in dying neurons, and is contributing to world-class research into how to prevent this process from occurring. Professor Perry Bartlett, director of the Queensland Brain Institute, has been a world leader with research into brain derived neurotrophic factor and other important neurotrophic factors and how they relate to the survival, proliferation and differentiation of neuronal cells.

Researchers at the university School of Biomedical Sciences have a particular focus on understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in strokes and developing subsequent therapeutic methods to address the consequences of strokes. To that end the school has received a grant worth $700,000 from the Australian Research Council to investigate novel pharmacological agents to target stroke induced brain injury. I look forward to the outcome of that work come 2014.

The research currently happening at the University of Queensland will have important consequences for not just stroke sufferers and their families but potentially for all brain related disorders, including people with speech and language disorders, dementia and Alzheimer's, and also for people with auditory-visual processing issues among many other conditions.

I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the member for Hasluck's ongoing dedication to stroke awareness through his contribution as co-convenor of the Parliamentary Heart Foundation and Stroke Foundation Friendship Group and his parliamentary walking group. I know his support for the Go Red for Women campaign earlier this year made a real impact and encouraged thousands of women to check their blood pressure and check their heart health.

Debate adjourned.