Each day, nearly 2,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke or brain
attack. On average, someone suffers a stroke ever 45 second and someone
dies of a stroke every 3.1 minutes. Stroke is a leading cause of serious,
long-term disability in the United States, with about 4.7 million stroke
survivors alive today. Each year, more than $40 billion is spent on the
care of individuals who have suffered a stroke. WMC treats approximately
500 patients per year for stroke related diagnoses.
Most strokes are caused by the build-up of plaque in the arteries carrying
blood to the brain. It is believed by many healthcare professionals that
80% of all strokes could be prevented. There are many things you can do
to reduce your risk of stroke.
Know your
uncontrollable risk factors for stroke:
Age, for every decade over 55 years of age stroke risk increases
Gender, men have a slightly higher stroke risk than women
Family history, people with a family history of stroke are at risk for
stroke themselves
Race, African Americans and Hispanics have 2-3 times the stroke risk of
most other ethnic groups
Previous TIA (mini-stroke) or stroke, more than 1/3 of people who have
TIA’s will go on to have a stroke and if you already had a stroke
you are up to 10 times more likely to have another
Know your
controllable risk factors for stroke and work with your physician who can guide you
in making good choices to help decrease your risk.
High blood pressure is the single most controllable risk factor for stroke.
Having high blood pressure increases stroke risk 4 to 6 times
Diabetes
Heart disease and high cholesterol
Atrial fibrillation is an irregular heart beat that can increase stroke
risk 4 to 6 times
Smoking doubles your risk for stroke
Excess weight makes people more likely to have other stroke risk factors
Signs of Stroke/Brain Attack
Sudden Weakness/numbness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side
of the body
Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or understanding
Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
Sudden severe headache with no known cause
If any of these signs occur,
CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. Getting treatment within 60 minutes may prevent disability, and increase
chances of survival. It may also facilitate the administration of the
clot busting drug or a procedure called mechanical thrombectomy which
utilizes various clot retrieval devices approved for stroke treatment
in some patients.
For more information about the Valley Health Stroke Service, please contact:
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