World Stroke Day: Nithin Kamath Highlights Critical 4.5-Hour Window After Stroke

Zerodha Co-founder and CEO Nithin Kamath on Wednesday underscored the importance of acting swiftly during a stroke, urging people to seek immediate medical attention within the golden 4.5-hour window to improve chances of recovery.

World Stroke Day, observed annually on October 29, aims to raise awareness about the life-threatening condition caused by an interruption in blood flow to the brain. During a stroke, brain cells begin to die within seconds, making timely treatment crucial to survival and recovery.

Sharing his personal experience on social media platform X, Kamath — who suffered a stroke last year — said that he wished he had gone to the hospital sooner instead of dismissing the symptoms.

“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 wrote.

He cautioned that many people, especially those under 50, tend to ignore early warning signs due to a belief that they are too healthy to be affected.

“This ‘nothing will happen to me’ attitude is common, especially among those under 50,” he said, noting that strokes among people aged 30 to 50 have surged to nearly 30 per cent of all cases in recent years.

Kamath reiterated that “time is brain”, emphasizing that every minute’s delay can result in irreversible brain damage or disability.

Experts say that nearly 80 per cent of strokes are preventable through consistent lifestyle habits — maintaining healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, avoiding tobacco and alcohol, exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, and managing cholesterol.

According to Dr. Deep Das, a neurologist based in Kolkata, recognizing stroke symptoms quickly can save lives. He advised using the acronym “BE FAST” for easy recall: