2,178 Americans will have a stroke today. 365 people will die as a result. Countless others will be left with life-altering disability.
Strokes are the 4th leading cause of death in our country. More than twice as many American women will die from a stroke this year than will die from breast cancer.
These numbers are staggering, but medical technology has advanced dramatically in recent years. Many strokes can now be reversed if symptoms are caught early and patients receive treatment immediately.
Each year, LifeFlight Eagle flies hundreds of stroke patients from small communities to comprehensive stroke centers that can provide life-saving care or surgical intervention.
The greatest factor in stroke survival and recovery is speed. Everyone can help by learning how to identify stroke symptoms, and by taking immediate action.
Never wait to call 911 when you see stroke symptoms. Don’t allow someone to go to bed and see how they feel in the morning—by then it may be too late for the most important treatments to be applied.
Recovery is all about catching a stroke early and getting the patient to definitive treatment quickly. It’s not only a matter of life and death, but it’s also a matter of whether patients go back home to life as normal, or whether they’ll spend the rest of their lives in a nursing home.
Quick Stroke Facts
- Strokes are the 4th leading cause of death in the United States
- 795,000 Americans will have a stroke each year — one every 40 seconds
- 133,000 Americans will die from a stroke each year — one every 4 minutes
- Stroke can happen to anyone at any time, regardless of race, sex or age
- Approximately 55,000 more women than men have a stroke each year
- Two million brain cells die every minute during stroke, increasing risk of permanent brain damage, disability or death.
- Recognizing symptoms and acting FAST to get medical attention can save a life and limit disabilities.
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