I could not let this month go by without mentioning something of vital importance. Something that has touched my family, and so many others. Stroke.
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Did you know that stroke is the fourth leading cause of death and the leading preventable cause of disability in the US? Each year, about 795,000 Americans suffer a new or recurrent stroke—that’s about one stroke every 40 seconds.
May is American Stroke Month, and I’m working with the the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Ad Council to raise awareness about F.A.S.T.—an acronym used to recognize a stroke and what to do in a stroke emergency.
 F.A.S.T. stands for:
• F – Face Drooping – Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
• A – Arm Weakness – Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
• S – Speech Difficulty – Is speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like: “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
• T- Time to call 9-1-1 – If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately. When you recognize a stroke and immediately call 9-1-1, the person has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and being assessed for treatment options like a clot-busting drug and other medical devices. But many people do not know the warning signs of a stroke – information that may save a life.
Facts about Strokes:
• Someone in the U.S. has a stroke about once every 40 seconds.
• Stroke is the No. 4 cause of death overall, killing more than 129,000 people a year. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death for women and No. 5 cause of death for men.
• Stroke is the No. 1 preventable cause of disability.
• About 795,000 people have a stroke every year.
• An estimated 6.8 million Americans 20 and older have had a stroke.
 Stroke Warning Sign Knowledge and Treatment:
• One in three Americans can’t recall any stroke warning signs.
• According to a survey, Hispanic women are less likely than others to know most of the warning signs of a stroke – 25% did not know any, compared to 18% for whites and 19% for African Americans.
• In a study of patients who had experienced a stroke, someone other than the patient made the decision to seek treatment in 66% of the cases, or every two in three.
Educate yourself & others, it’s a matter of life & death.
To learn more, visit www.strokeassociation.org.
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