May is National Stroke Awareness Month. Several facts and figures demonstrate the prevalence of stroke.
Often referred to as a “heart attack of the brain,” strokes are the fifth leading cause of death and the leading cause of long-term disability in adults.
A very serious medical emergency, strokes occur when blood flow in the brain is interrupted — either through a blockage or burst vessel — depriving it of oxygen, rapidly killing brain cells.
Potentially life-threatening, the prevalence of stroke is on the rise in the United States.
795,000
Strokes every year in the United States
185,000
Strokes every year suffered by a patient who has previously had a stroke
150,005
Stroke-related deaths in the United States every year
1 in 19
Deaths attributed to stroke
87
Percentage of stroke that are ischemic (blockage) as opposed to hemorrhagic (burst blood vessel)
40 seconds
Amount of time between stroke occurrences in the United States
3 minutes and 30 seconds
Amount of time between stroke-related deaths in the United States
38
Percentage of hospitalized stroke patients under age 65
2x
Likelihood of African Americans experiencing a stroke
Remember to B.E. F.A.S.T.
Call 911 if you see the symptoms of a stroke in yourself or someone around you.
B
Balance – Watch for a sudden loss of balance
E
Eyes – Is there a sudden loss of vision in one or both eyes? Or double vision?
F
Face – Smile and check to see if one side of the face droops
A
Arm – Raise both arms and see if one arm drifts downward
S
Speech – Repeat a simple sentence and check to see if words are slurred or the sentence is repeated incorrectly
T
Time – If a person shows any of these symptoms, it is important to get to the hospital as quickly as possible, so immediately call 911.
McLaren Stroke Network
Learn more about the capabilities of the McLaren Stroke Network.
Click here