STROKE FACTS

• Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the United States, killing about 140,000 Americans each year — that’s 1 of every 20 deaths.

• A stroke, sometimes called a ‘brain attack’, occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood supply to the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts.

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke.

• Every year, about 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke. About 610,000 of these are first or new strokes; 185,000 are recurrent strokes.

• Stroke is an important cause of disability. Stroke reduces mobility in more than half of stroke survivors age 65 and over.

• Stroke costs the nation $34 billion annually, including the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

• Some medical conditions — including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, overweight or obesity, and previous stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA )— can also raise your stroke risk.

• While you cannot control some stroke risk factors, like heredity, age, gender, and ethnicity, avoiding smoking and drinking too much alcohol, eating a balanced diet, and getting exercise are all choices you can make to reduce your risk.