Medical experts in Beijing on Thursday urged the public to pay more attention to the prevention of recurrent stroke on China's second "Stroke Education Day".

"There is an extremely high risk of recurrence for stroke sufferers," said Dong Qiang, an expert from the neurology branch of the Chinese Medical Association (CMA), "and the recurrent stroke causes higher death and disability rates."

The recurrence rate for stroke sufferers is about 10 percent within one week and 20 percent within three months, and atherothrombosis (blood accumulation leading to clotting) is often the "culprit" in recurrent strokes, according to Dong.

"Stroke sufferers need to get rid of their unhealthy habits, including drinking and smoking," said Li Yansheng, a specialist from Shanghai-based Renji Hospital. "They should keep taking anti-platelet medication, such as aspirin and clopidogrel."

Stroke, an aging disease and the third killer worldwide, has become a major public health threat in China. More than 2.5 million new cases of stroke are diagnosed annually in China, and one patient dies every 21 seconds. Three-fourths of survivors lose their ability to work.

(Xinhua News Agency November 21, 2008)