Act fast, every minute counts during a stroke: Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath urged people to seek immediate medical help during a stroke, stressing the importance of the 4.5-hour ‘Golden Hour’. Sharing his personal experience on World Stroke Day, he highlighted the rising incidence among people under 50.

New Delhi: Every minute counts during a stroke, said Nithin Kamath, Co-founder and CEO of Zerodha on Wednesday, while stressing the need to seek immediate medical help within the golden 4.5 hours after suffering the brain condition.

World Stroke Day is observed every year on October 29 to raise awareness about strokes, which occur when blood flow to the brain is interrupted. During the attack, brain cells die every second; thus, early medications are key to boosting survival.

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Taking to social media platform X, Kamath, who survived a stroke last year, shared how strokes can be better managed if medical help is sought within 4.5 hours — known as the Golden Hour. If strokes are not treated immediately within the window, it can lead to permanent brain damage and disability.

He shared that many people often shrug it off, thinking that nothing will happen to them as they are healthy.

“If there’s one thing I wish I had done differently when I was hit by a stroke last January, it would be to go to the hospital immediately, within the Golden Hour (under 4.5 hours), instead of thinking I could just sleep it off,” Kamath shared in a post on social media platform X.

“This ‘nothing will happen to me’ attitude is common, especially among those under 50,” he added, noting that cases of stroke are rising significantly among people under the age of 50.

“The truth is, strokes are rising sharply, up to nearly 30 per cent of all strokes in the last few years, among 30 to 50-year-olds,” Kamath said.

“When it comes to strokes, time is brain; every minute counts,” he added.

Nearly 80 per cent of strokes can be prevented through simple but consistent measures: controlling blood pressure and diabetes, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and managing cholesterol.

According to Dr. Deep Das, a Kolkata-based neurologist, recognising stroke symptoms is the first step, which can be easily remembered through the acronym ‘BE FAST’.

“B stands for Balance, E for Eye or vision, F for Face, notice if the face becomes distorted, A for Arm — check for weakness or loss of grip, S for Speech — look for slurred or unclear speech, and T for Time — act immediately and reach a hospital without delay,” Das said.