According to the American Heart Association, stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States, behind diseases of the heart and cancer.² On average, every 4 minutes someone dies of a stroke. About 40 percent of stroke deaths occur in males, and 60 percent in females.

A stroke is when one of the blood vessels (arteries) leading to or within the brain is blocked by a buildup of fatty plaque and/or blood clots. A stroke could also be caused by a rupture of one of these blood vessels.

Our brain needs blood and oxygen to survive. When a stroke occurs, neither blood nor oxygen can reach the brain. As a result, these parts of the brain begin to die.

For individuals who have survived a stroke, it is the leading cause of long-term disability.³ Only 50-70 percent of survivors will regain functional independence. The most common disability is weakness on one side of the body which affects about 50 percent of people with disability from a stroke.

What are the signs?
An easy way to remember the signs is to remember F-A-S-T. As reported in a previous blog on World Stroke Day, we described each letter of the warning signs as:

• F – Face – check to see if face is drooped, has sudden numbness, sudden weakness or trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• A – Arms – can they lift both arms, do they have dizziness, loss of coordination, balance or trouble walking
• S – Speech – is their speech slurred, are they confused or having trouble understanding
• T – Time – time is crucial, call for help immediately

What can I do to help?
Over 50 percent of people with a stroke die before reaching the hospital – but you can change this in your community. Make a difference by knowing the signs, what to do and sharing it with others. But you can also help prevent strokes from happening by being an advocate for healthy lifestyle behaviors.

One of the most important factors for prevention is blood pressure. High blood pressure is the #1 changeable risk factor for stroke. High blood pressure is a factor in 70 percent of all strokes. Individuals should strive to have blood pressure below 140/90 mm Hg.

Other risk factors include smoking, physical inactivity, and diet. Smokers have a 1.8 times higher stroke risk compared to nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking can be attributed to 18 percent of strokes. Physical inactivity increases the risk of stroke 2.7 times compared to physically active individuals. Individuals should strive to have at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. Diets should strive to be high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low in fat and sodium.

How are you helping?
Share on our Facebook page how you are increasing Stroke and High Blood Pressure awareness. It might be as simple as printing this and posting somewhere for others to see – but I look forward to all the other ideas posted.

For other ideas, visit the Stroke Awareness Resource Center from the National Stroke Association.

¹National Stroke Association., Initials. (2011). Stroke awareness resource center: stroke awareness ekit materials. Retrieved from http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=aware_eKit
²American Heart Association., Initials. (2011). About stroke. Retrieved from http://www.strokeassociation.org/STROKEORG/AboutStroke/About-Stroke_UCM_308529_SubHomePage.jsp
³Kozub, E. (2010). Community stroke prevention programs: an overview. Journal of Neuroscience Nursing, 42(3), 143-149.