World Stroke Day 2019

25-Oct-2019

Stroke is a brain attack

As World Stroke Day (October 29) approaches, our Neurovascular team would like to share a few critical facts about stroke, it’s prevention and the urgency of time in stroke treatment. Acute ischemic stroke – a blood clot in the brain – accounts for 87 percent of all strokes. Our teams focus on developing innovative technologies that help our customers to treat these strokes, but we also strive to support awareness and education that may serve to improve outcomes for those who suffer from this devastating health event.

 

Stroke facts1

  • 1 in 4 people will suffer a stroke in their lifetime.
  • Stroke is the second leading cause of death globally.
  • Stroke is the leading cause of disability around the world.
  • Stroke is responsible for more global deaths annually than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

 

Most strokes can be prevented

90 percent of strokes are associated with potentially modifiable risk factors2, including:

High blood pressure

Lack of physical activity

High cholesterol

Unhealthy diet

Obesity

Stress

Smoking

Alcohol consumption

Understand stroke treatment options

  • 0-3 hours from stroke onset:
    • Medical management: Lytic or “Clot Busting” drugs
    • Endovascular clot removal
  • 4-24 hours from stroke onset:
    • Endovascular clot removal
       

Learn more about these stroke treatment options here

Know the signs of stroke

Stroke is an emergency.
Remember the acronym “F.A.S.T.”

F= Face drooping; A= Arm weakness; S= Difficulty speaking; T= Time to get treatment

If you suspect someone is having a stroke, communicate the following information to the emergency responders:

  • Time his/her symptoms started and what those symptoms are
  • Last time the person was seen acting normal
  • Emergency contact information (e.g., spouse, child, parent)

To learn more about stroke, visit somesignssavelives.com