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T he work is being spearheaded by neurologist Professor Valery Feigin, from Auckland University of Technology (AUT). He is the director of AUT’s National Institute for Stroke and Applied Neuroscience (NISAN), the only national research institute solely dedicated to studying the epidemiology and prevention of neurological disorders in New Zealand. With the aid of a $179,994 Neurological Foundation project grant, Valery and his team plan to analyse extensive data from GPs and public health organisations to enable the current Stroke Riskometer to be tailored to the various ethnicities in New Zealand. Developed at NISAN, the Stroke Riskometer was launched in 2014. It’s an innovative app that allows individuals to assess their risk for stroke based on various health metrics such as age, gender and lifestyle. It’s already helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world, with availability in over 30 languages (more translations will be released soon). It works by increasing people’s awareness of stroke risk and also by providing self-management strategies. Soon-to-be-published randomised controlled trials confirm its effectiveness across different populations. It’s proven to be a useful tool, but Valery says it would be even better if it was tailored to specific populations. Over the years, it’s been upgraded to be more user-friendly and motivational. But it’s now time to go a step further. He says the idea that “one size fits all” doesn’t apply to stroke prevention. continued next page Empowering New Zealanders with a STROKE OF GENIUS Despite better treatments and greater public awareness, stroke is on the rise in New Zealand – particularly in the under-55s. Now, an innovative prediction and lifestyle modification tool is being updated to make it specific to our diverse population and empower people to understand, and hopefully reduce, their own risk. “This isn't just a tool; it's a proactive step towards changing behaviour around health and stroke prevention. In the end, it’s about giving people the power to safeguard their health.” Professor Valery Feigin Headlines 7