Is It a Stroke?
Did you know…. every 40 seconds someone in the United States has a stroke.
Every year, more than 795,000 individuals in the United States experience a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes.
Stroke risk increases with age, but strokes can—and do—occur at any age.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 80% of strokes can be avoided. Recent studies suggest that over the past 15 years, younger adults (ages 18-54) have had increased stroke hospitalizations, as well as increased stroke risk factors among those hospitalized with stroke. https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/pdf/2017-09-vitalsigns.pdf
Milestone HCQU West had the pleasure of hosting Beverley Lawton from UPMC recently. She presented “Is it a Stroke?” She covered what is a stroke, different types of strokes, as well as signs and symptoms.
She stressed this applicable take away: When it comes to a stroke Be FAST Call 911. The earlier the treatment the more likely you’ll recover without disability.
What are the risk factors for stroke?
Risk factors that cannot be changed:
- Age: Stroke can occur at any age. Did you know that 1 out of 5 people who have a stroke are under 55. Your chance of stroke increases as you get older.
- Race: African Americans, Hispanics, and Asian/Pacific Islanders have a higher risk of stroke than people of other races.
- Gender: More women have stroke than men. More women die from stroke than from breast cancer every year.
- Family history: You are at greater risk if a family member has had a stroke.
Finally, but most importantly, she emphasized the importance of preventing an stroke. She focused on the risk factors that are under our control such as the following list.
Risk factors that can be changed:
- Keeping a well-balanced diet that is lower in salt
- Limiting alcohol
- Enjoying regular physical activity
- Managing stress
- Maintaining healthy weight
- Taking your medication properly
- Quitting smoking
- Working with your doctor to manage your health
Other manageable risk factors include:
- High blood pressure
- Atrial fibrillation (A-fib)
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Poor circulation
- Lack of physical activity
- Obesity
World Stroke Day is on Oct 29th Help us raise awareness and prevention. Share this article as a quick resource. Consider how you can help friends, families, or the people you support avoid stroke by making positive changes to manageable risk factors. If you would like more information on this topic or want to request a presentation for your team, contact:
Beverly A Lawton RN, MSN
UPMC Northwest, Stroke Coordinator
Director of Regulatory and Accreditation Services
100 Fairfield Drive
Seneca, PA 16346
Office: 814-677-7265
Email: lawtonba@upmc.edu
Don’t miss this handy resource below. Print and share a copy of the Be FAST flyer.
Stroke-Be-FAST
