Stroke, the third leading cause of death

How could a disease be the third leading cause of death in the U.S. and still be something people pay little attention to? That's what the American Stroke Association (ASA) would like to know. The association surveyed 1,000 people in February 2002 and found that for most people stroke is still not a health priority, according to Vladimir Hachinski, editor-in-chief of Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Although more than a third of those surveyed said they knew of someone close to them who had suffered a stroke, they named seven other diseases, ranging from Alzheimer disease to osteoporosis to diabetes, as just as worrisome, or more so, than stroke. Just 10 individuals -- that's one percent -- said stroke was their main health concern.

According to the association, women are particularly affected by stroke. About 97,000 women die from strokes each year -- that's 60 percent of all the stroke deaths. And strokes kill twice as many women each year as does breast cancer. During May, which is National Stroke Month, the association hopes people will become more aware of strokes and how they can be prevented. One way to do that is go to the association's web site -- StrokeAssociation.org -- and take the stroke risk assessment quiz and pledge.

And remember, the number one preventive measure to ward off a stroke is to quit smoking.

Resources:

Read more about the stroke awareness survey at the American Heart Association Web site.

May 25, 2002