NEARLY 600 East Lancashire people die from strokes each year and another 400 are left permanently disabled, a new study reveals.

But the high death rate results simply from the fact that more local people suffer strokes, and is not down to any shortcomings in treatment, the report says.

The two-year East Lancashire Health Authority investigation says identifying high blood pressure and keeping it down is the key to avoiding a stroke. Once blood pressure is down to a certain level, a person's chance of suffering a stroke is no higher than for someone who has never had high blood pressure.

Three quarters of the area's GPs and the University of Manchester contributed to the study, which suggests that a quarter of strokes in East Lancashire may be due to high blood pressure which has not been reduced to the target level.

But on a positive note, the investigation found surprisingly high numbers of local people getting blood pressure checked by doctors and being prescribed treatment when needed.

The study, which will be presented to the health authority this week, recorded 932 strokes - with 69 per cent of people having their first strokes.

Some 70 per cent of people who had a stroke were admitted to hospital and 40 per cent died within three months.

Other ways to avoid strokes, apart from medication, include stopping smoking, taking regular exercise, drinking within accepted limits and reducing salt intake, the report adds.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.