Every four minutes, a person dies from a cerebral infarction in the world, and currently, due to the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia (abnormal concentration of fats in the blood) at an early age, more and more cases are being recorded in young adults, when until a while ago it was a pathology that was only seen in older adults, warned Vanessa Cano, a specialist at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery.
The neurologist specified The Day that cerebral infarction is the second cause of mortality and the first cause of disability on a global scale. It is estimated that more than 12 percent of the world’s population suffered a first stroke during 2025, with 6.5 million deaths and more than 100 million people living with its consequences.
The expert highlighted that if cholesterol, glucose, blood pressure and heart disease are controlled, “we would prevent 90 percent of cerebral infarctions,” and added that in the institute’s emergency service, “among all neurological pathologies, the first one we see is headache; the second, epileptic seizures, and the third, cerebral infarctions.”
Mexico registers 170 thousand cases a year
Emergency physician Daniel Sánchez Arreola, member of the Mexican Society of Emergency Medicine, explained that in Mexico, approximately 170,000 cases of cerebral infarction occur each year, which positions this pathology as the first cause of disability in older adults and stressed that in these situations, “time is the brain, since in every minute without attention, 1.9 million neurons can be destroyed.”
He pointed out that it is essential to receive medical attention within the first 4.5 hours from the onset of the first symptoms and pointed out that the signs that indicate that you are having a stroke are feeling your face hanging. heavy hand and tongue tied. He stressed that these symptoms appear suddenly and evolve quickly.
He emphasized that the sooner medical attention is sought, the greater the chances of suffering less damage. “By allowing more expeditious intervention, not only is the initiation of treatment accelerated, but it also extends the time for decision-making by the medical team, a vital factor in improving prognosis and reducing long-term disability.”
The strategy Chameleon
This week, the pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim reported on the approval in Mexico of a new indication for the treatment of cerebral infarction.
In the country, both in public and private hospitals, there are two types of treatment for cerebral infarction: the removal of the clot that obstructs the vessel and the rupture of the thrombus with two highly complex medications.
Both highlighted the strategy Chameleona teaching tool designed to identify the signs of a cerebral infarction. These are Face Hanging, Heavy Hand, Tongue Tie and ON, taking action by calling 911 immediately or going to the hospital.