Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillor Khatra, substitute Councillor Eginton

None.

Were agreed as an accurate record.

All items were considered in public.

Shikha Sharma, Consultant in Public Health, provided a verbal report on stroke. The following points were noted:

Strokes were defined as a ‘brain attack’ when the blood supply to part of the brain was cut off. Officers explained that blood carried essential nutrients and oxygen to the brain. Without such a blood supply, brain cells could be damaged or destroyed.

The two main types of stroke were:

1)    Ischaemic stroke, which was the most common type, caused by a blood clot in the brain and

2)    a Haemorrhagic stroke caused by a bleed in the brain.

A Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA) was also known as a mini stroke and occurs when the brain'’ blood supply is briefly interrupted.

Stroke causes a greater range of disabilities than any other common condition. It can affect mobility, cognition, balance, bowel and bladder control, spatial awareness, weakness, clumsiness or paralysis; swallowing; speech and language; understanding; eyesight; recognising objects and knowing how to use them; concentration of paying attention and remembering; and difficulty in controlling emotions.

In terms of those at higher risk, the following points were noted:

Age and gender:

• Men are at 25% higher risk and at a younger age than women.
• Older men and women have more strokes. In the UK around 26% strokes happen in people aged under 65 and the rest 74% in people aged over 65.
• Stroke occurs in a small number of children too.

Social Deprivation:

• Residents in economically deprived areas are twice as likely to suffer a stroke, have it at much younger age, and three times more likely to die from stroke

Ethnicity:

• Black people are twice as likely to suffer strokes (partly due to higher prevalence of high blood pressure, diabetes and sickle cell disease.
• White people are more likely to have an irregular heartbeat, and higher prevalence of excessive alcohol use.
• Bangladeshi and Pakistani men are more likely to smoke than the rest of the UK population.
• South Asians are more likely to have strokes at significantly younger age than white people; and are more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes than white people.
• Indian men, and Pakistani women are more than twice as likely to have to have diabetes type 2as compared to the average UK population.

Risk Factors:

High blood pressure: is one of the main contributory factors. 54% of strokes were caused by blood pressure, which affected 12.35% of the adult population in Hillingdon. In Hillingdon, GP registers showed there were over 37,000 'recorded' hypertension sufferers, which is just over 12.3% of population. Modelled estimates suggest that in fact around 22% adults suffer from hypertension in Hillingdon..

Atrial Fibrillation: is described as the 'irregularly irregular heartbeat which increases the risk of stroke by 5 fold. Around 3,500 people in Hillingdon are 'recorded as having this condition.

Obesity: increases the risk of stroke through many mechanisms including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep aponoea and diabetes mellitus. In Hillingdon 63.4% carry excess weight, out of which 23%  ...  view the full minutes text for item 13.

The Committee considered the latest version of the Forward Plan.

Resolved –

1. That the report be noted.

Reference was made to the work programme and timetable of meetings.

Resolved -

The Committee noted the Work Programme 2015/16.