Pregnancy and Stroke: Are You At Risk?

"Stroke can happen to anyone at any time, even new moms. Learn more about the connection between pregnancy and stroke and what you can do to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

When Brooke Bergfeld developed an extreme headache about a week after giving birth, she assumed it was just another migraine, as she’d had during her pregnancy. When her left arm suddenly hurt, she figured it was due to muscle aches from carrying around a new baby.

But her mom noticed Brooke’s slurred voice and drooping face—two classic signs of stroke—and called 9-1-1 right away. At the hospital, doctors performed a thrombectomy, a surgery to remove a blood clot. Today, Brooke is still dealing with how the stroke changed her life and is working to educate others about stroke..."
Pregnancy and stroke

Three Steps to Stroke Recovery

"Stroke can be devastating, but it is also treatable—and often preventable. Recovering from a stroke can involve making big changes to your lifestyle, but your health care team will work to help you become as healthy and independent as possible. Learn what to expect if you are recovering from stroke and how to prevent another stroke from happening.

Stroke happens when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. When stroke happens, brain cells start to die within minutes because they can’t get oxygen. This can cause death or disability.That is why doctors say “time lost is brain lost” when it comes to stroke. The faster you can get treatment, the less brain damage you may have. Each year, nearly 800,000 Americans have a stroke. Yet many people who could benefit from emergency stroke treatment—a special clot-busting drug—don’t get it because they don’t arrive at the hospital in time..."
Strokes

World Stroke Day: We Can Prevent Stroke

"In the United States, stroke is the fifth leading cause of death.¹ Worldwide, it is the second leading cause of death. Globally, stroke takes the lives of more than 6.5 million people each year, and permanently disables another 5 million.² This October 29 is World Stroke Day, a chance to raise awareness about the impact stroke has around the world and how to avoid stroke. This year's campaign is "Face the Facts: Stroke is Treatable."..."
Strokes

May is National Stroke Awareness Month

"Take the time to learn the signs and symptoms of stroke during May, which is National Stroke Awareness Month. A 2005 CDC survey found that only 38% of people could correctly identify all 5 symptoms of stroke and knew to call 9-1-1 if they thought that someone was having a stroke.
The key to recognizing a stroke is knowing the following signs and remembering that they occur suddenly:
Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.

• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech.
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination.
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause..."
  Stroke

Preventable Deaths from Heart Disease & Stroke

"Nearly 1 in 3 deaths in the US each year is caused by heart disease and stroke. At least 200,000 of these deaths could have been prevented through changes in

health habits, such as stopping smoking, more physical activity, and less salt in the diet; community changes to create healthier living spaces, such as safe places to exercise and smoke-free areas; and managing high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes.."

 Preventable Deaths from Heat Disease

Hospitalization for Stroke in U.S. Hospitals, 1989–2009

"An estimated 7 million Americans have had a stroke (cerebrovascular disease) (1). In 2008, direct medical costs of stroke were about $18.8 billion, with almost half of this amount being for hospitalization (1). Stroke was the fourth leading U.S. cause of death in 2009 and 2010 (2,3).

Numerous public health campaigns have sought to educate the public on how to lower stroke risk: for example, by increasing physical activity, controlling weight, stopping smoking, and taking medication to lower high blood pressure and high cholesterol (4,5). This report examines nationally representative data from 1989 to 2009 to see how inpatient hospital care for stroke has changed..."

World Stroke Day 2011(October 29, 2011)

"Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. About 137,000 Americans die of stroke every year1. The theme for this year's World Stroke Day builds on last year’s theme "1 in 6:" 1 in 6 people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime; every 6 seconds, someone somewhere will die from stroke2.

This campaign not only stresses how prevalent stroke is but also highlights the fact that stroke can be prevented and that stroke survivors can recover and regain their quality of life with care and support."

First-Ever County Level Report on Stroke Hospitalizations
"The highest rate of stroke hospitalizations among Medicare beneficiaries exists among African-Americans and in counties located primarily in the southeastern states, according to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in collaboration with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

The report, “Atlas of Stroke Hospitalizations Among Medicare Beneficiaries,” also reveals that a significant number of Medicare beneficiaries live in counties that have no access to care or inadequate choices for emergency health care when they suffer a stroke."