News

May 15, 2017

May is American Stroke Month

During American Stroke Month in May, the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and Albany Medical Center encourage Capital Region residents to join together to end stroke, New York’s fourth leading cause of death.

Despite claiming more than 133,000 lives annually in the United States, and 6,035 in New York in 2014, and being a leading cause of serious, long-term disability, stroke is largely preventable and treatable.

“As many as 80 percent of strokes are preventable,” said Dr. Alan Boulos, chair, department of neurosurgery at Albany Medical Center and member of the Capital Region Advisory Board of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.  “Most people who have a stroke have high blood pressure so it’s incredibly important to know your numbers and keep them under control to help prevent a stroke.”

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mm Hg. Nearly one in six American adults with high blood pressure don’t know it, according to AHA/ASA.

Awareness is also key when it comes to stroke treatment. For many strokes, the right treatment right away can save lives and improve recovery so it’s important to get help immediately. The American Stroke Association’s Together to End Stroke™ initiative, sponsored nationally by Medtronic, teaches the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people to recognize the most common stroke warning signs and what to do if one occurs:

  • F – Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
  • A – Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  • S – Speech Difficulty: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like, “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
  • T – Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.

AHA/ASA activities during American Stroke Month include:

  • On May 15, National Cycling Day, from 2 – 3 p.m., a national Twitter Chat hosted by @American_Stroke will feature the 2016 Stroke Ambassador to the Heart Walk, Paula Symanski, who recreated her trip to Albany Medical Center by bicycle in 2016. Follow along at #CycleNation @CRNYHEART
  • The Go Red for Women Luncheon on Thursday, May 25, at the Albany Marriott.

For more information about stroke or American Stroke Month activities, follow #StrokeMonth on social media, visit StrokeAssociation.org/strokemonth or contact the American Heart Association at 518.626.8750.

The American Heart Association and Albany Medical Center are working together in the Capital Region’s first Life Is Why collaboration. Life is Why is the American Heart Association’s national campaign designed to help individuals make small changes in their lifestyle that will result in healthier, happier and longer lives. In 2017, Albany Med and the American Heart Association will focus on opportunities to educate the entire community about ways to prevent heart disease for themselves and their families.