Although the Foundation will be closed on the October 29th international World Stroke Day, we’d like to observe it in this post by thanking everyone in the stroke community for their continued efforts in combating this disease. Our hearts also go out to the many stroke survivors that must live daily with the debilitating after effects of stroke.
Since stroke is 80% preventable, through rigorous education and the implementation of days like World Stroke Day, we’ve seen stroke fall from the 3rd leading cause of death in the United States to the 5th – however there is still much that needs to be done as it remains the leading cause of disability in the United States. Beyond the United States, the World Health Organization found in 2012 that stroke was the 2nd leading cause of death worldwide.
We encourage our visitors to raise awareness of stroke by learning, posting on social media, or educating others about the F.A.S.T. method which is the easiest way to identify and act on stroke.
FAST:
Face: Does one side of the face droop, is the face uneven?
Arm: Can the person lift both arms, can they walk and use both legs?
Speech: Is the person’s speech slurred, are the words unintelligible?
Time: Yes to any of the above symptoms? Call 911, every minute counts with stroke.