Stroke - America's No. 3 killer - is the least of Americans' health worries

American Heart Association
Thursday, 2 May 2002

New American Stroke Association survey shows only 1 percent of Americans concerned about this health epidemic

(DALLAS, May 2, 2002) - If you asked 1,000 people what health condition worries them most, how many would say stroke? The answer: 10. That's right - 1 percent.

Stroke is America's No. 3 killer and a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. Yet it is nowhere near the forefront of most Americans' minds, according to an American Stroke Association survey conducted in February. The fear of stroke was even low - only 2 percent - among those who'd had a stroke or knew someone who'd had one.

"Overall, the results are disturbing - revealing that stroke is still not a health priority for the general public," says Vladimir Hachinski, M.D., editor-in-chief of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. "Until this changes, we can expect to see present patterns continue: lack of knowledge about stroke warning signs; lack of emergency action when they occur; lack of commitment to reduce stroke risk factors; and, of course, lack of progress in reducing disability."

The survey's results have prompted the American Stroke Association to increase its efforts in May - American Stroke Month - to encourage Americans to become more aware of their risk and how to prevent stroke. Consumers can learn their risk of stroke by taking an interactive Stroke Pledge on the American Stroke Association's Web site at StrokeAssociation.org.

The American Stroke Association is using a four-pronged approach to raise awareness of stroke and improve the continuum of stroke care across the country:

1. Educate the public about stroke warning signs and risk factors through innovative programs, products and awareness campaigns.

2. Provide hospitals, neurologists, healthcare professionals and EMS staff with protocols to help improve stroke treatment.

3. Educate medical students about stroke.

4. Promote stroke guidelines to ensure proper care of stroke survivors.

The American Stroke Association's grassroots initiative called Operation Stroke is an example of a program that's impacting the continuum of care. Created in 1997, it educates people, regardless of age, about stroke warning signs and increases healthcare emergency staff and hospitals equipped and staffed to treat stroke patients. It also focuses on strengthening the chain of survival - a proven, step-by-step process that enables healthcare professionals to improve stroke care and reduce disability and death. Operation Stroke is reaching more than 140 million people in 119 areas through free stroke screenings and educational materials and campaigns. A local coalition of emergency medical services (EMS) personnel; healthcare professionals; city, county and state governments; and others implement the program.

"Operation Stroke is top priority at the American Stroke Association because it not only brings greater attention to stroke across the country, but it also helps to save lives," said Edgar J. Kenton, M.D., chairman of the American Stroke Association Advisory Committee. "Although we've made great strides in several communities, the findings of this new survey reinforce the need for more education among both consumers and healthcare providers. So we must continue to explore new and creative ways to get our messages out to high-risk audiences because lives are at stake."

The American Stroke Association is also collaborating on national consumer initiatives with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

"We know enough today to be able to prevent and control most strokes. For example, prevention and control of high blood pressure is one of the first steps to reduce stroke risk. By working together in this partnership to educate the public, we can also increase awareness and reduce the delay from onset of symptoms to effective action," said George A. Mensah, M.D., chief of the cardiovascular health program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"Together, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the American Heart Association are working to ease the burden of stroke and to improve stroke awareness and the quality of life for stroke patients and their caregivers," said Audrey S. Penn, M.D., NINDS Acting Director. "We are making significant progress in our efforts to educate the public about stroke causes, risks, treatments, prevention, and recovery through increased medical research, strong public education programs, and improved standards of patient care."

The American Stroke Association directs people to call 9-1-1 in response to stroke because stroke is a medical emergency. A medication can help reduce long-term disability from the most common form of stroke, but it must be administered within three hours from the onset of stroke symptoms. Every minute counts!

Stroke accounted for about one of every 14.3 deaths in the United States in 1999. The American Stroke Association figures that in the United States someone has a stroke every 53 seconds and someone dies of one every 3.1 minutes. Direct and indirect costs for stroke in the United States this year will approach $50 billion.

The symptoms of stroke are:

- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm and 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

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that brings oxygen and nutrients to the brain bursts or is clogged by a blood clot or other particle. This rupture or blockage keeps part of the brain from getting the oxygen it needs. Without oxygen, nerve cells in the affected area can't function and die within minutes. The part of the body that these brain cells control also can't function, which can lead to death.

To learn more about stroke, visit the American Stroke Association's Web site at StrokeAssociation.org, or call 1-888-4-STROKE.

For more information, or to contact American Heart Association, see their website at: www.americanheart.org