National Stroke Awareness Month

Posted on May 5, 2009

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. In honor of that, let’s talk about strokes and how to prevent them.

A stroke happens when the blood supply to the brain is cut off or when a blood vessel leading to, or in the brain, bursts. When the brain tissue does not get enough oxygen, it begins to die. As you can imagine, this is not a good thing.

Here are some quick facts about strokes from the CDC:

**Strokes are 3rd leading cause of death in US.

**Strokes can occur at any age, but nearly 75% happen to adults aged 65 and older.

**According to the American Heart Association, stroke will cost almost $68.9 billion in both direct and indirect costs in 2009.

How can you do your best to prevent a stroke? Guess what… it’s the same stuff we can do to prevent most chronic diseases:

“Things you can do to lower the risk of stroke include steps to prevent and control high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic conditions, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercise, and not smoking.”

[From CDC].

Find some motivation and make your health a priority.