Did you know anyone in America has had a stroke? every 40 seconds?stroke is main cause of death It is the leading cause of severe disability among adults in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is also preventable and treatable.
So, what exactly is a stroke? A stroke occurs when part of the brain is cut off from blood and oxygen due to a blood clot or rupture of a blood vessel. In just minutes, a stroke can cause lasting brain damage, and delays in treatment increase the risk of permanent disability and death. Understanding stroke risk factors and symptoms is critical to reducing the likelihood of having a stroke and improving stroke outcomes.
this American Heart Associationof Contact the Heart of Stroke™ Programjointly developed with Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare — Our wider healthcare network — Focus on preventing, treating and fighting stroke by:
- Provides national consumer and healthcare professional education.
- Deepen the collaboration between neurology and cardiology.
- Equitably empower communities to improve health outcomes.
Through personalized health education in 15 local communities across the United States, the initiative highlights the powerful connection between heart and brain health.
“What’s good for the heart is good for the brain, but not vice versa: Heart problems, including AFib, are well-documented major stroke risk factors,” said Nancy Brown, chief executive officer of the American Heart Association. “To effectively combat stroke, we need to work together to strengthen the mind-brain connection among healthcare professionals, while addressing health disparities and resource gaps in our communities. We are not a one-size-fits-all nation, nor are we the most successful public health approach.”
know your risk
Stroke prevention starts with understanding the risk factors that increase the likelihood of having a stroke. Determining the underlying cause of a stroke is also critical to preventing subsequent strokes. common risk factors These include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, alcohol or drug abuse, or heart disease. If you have any of these risk factors, be sure to discuss them with your doctor to manage and reduce your chances of having a stroke.
For example, patients People diagnosed with atrial fibrillation are five times more likely to have a stroke. The Patient Support Network of the American Heart Association, My Atrial Fibrillation Experienceenabling individuals to better understand and manage their stroke risk.
As part of understanding the heart of strokeTM value initiative, the American Heart Association will partner with Las Palmas Del Sol Healthcare to implement community and professional education focused on identifying stroke risk factors through the lens of equitable health for all.
Working closely with thought leaders in healthcare, including from Las Palmas del Sol Healthcare, the American Heart Association will also develop certified educational programs for use by all healthcare professionals.
understand the signs
When a stroke occurs, rapid treatment is essential to reduce the long-term effects of the stroke. The symptoms of a stroke can be thought of with the acronym BE FAST. Here are symptoms that could mean you or a loved one is having a stroke:
- Secondbalance or inability to maintain coordination
- Secondyes or no see from one or both
- face drooping on one side
- Arms or fail to improve by one or two
- smallSpeech or inability to repeat simple sentences
If you or someone close to you has the above symptoms, it is
- TonI am going to call 911 and seek emergency care.
las palmas del sol Healthcare has a long history of prioritizing and striving to continuously improve patient safety. This included reducing our average door-to-needle time to 34 minutes, which is faster than the national standard for stroke care.
share with your community
To defeat stroke, we must reduce strokes for every member of our community. las palmas del sol Healthcare is committed to promoting health equity and improving stroke care for all patient groups, including all races and ethnicities. Some patient subgroups, such as black and Hispanic/Latino populations, Increased barriers to identifying and treating stroke risk factorsget a full evaluation and find follow-up stroke care.
touch the heart of a strokeTM value Address such health disparities through local health impact work and community education in areas such as women’s health, hypertension management, nutrition security, and tobacco/vaping prevention.
You can make a difference in your community by sharing your knowledge of stroke care and prevention with others.By sharing the resources in this article and by American Heart Association, American Stroke Association and touch the heart of a strokeTM value initiative, Together with family and friends who may be at risk of stroke, you can help save lives.
