Stroke Rates: Where Does Your State Fall?

(ARA) - Each year an estimated 700,000 Americans will have a stroke. That's one every 45 seconds. Of these, 200,000 are people who have already had a previous stroke. Strokes kill 157,000 Americans at the alarming rate of one every three minutes. This makes stroke the third leading cause of death in the United States. From Alabama to Wyoming, the American Heart Association's 2006 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update ranks states based on their stroke mortality rate. Where does your state fall? For information on where your state falls on the list, visit the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org. No matter where your state ranks, there is some important information you should know about stroke.

A stroke, which is sometimes referred to as a “brain attack,” can result from a sudden interruption of blood flow—often caused by clots. Clot formation means that you have a serious, ongoing condition that may be occurring throughout the arteries in your body and also grows worse over time. The interruption of blood flow to any part of the brain in turn injures or kills brain tissue. This damage can impair normal function in the parts of the body controlled by the affected brain area. Stroke can lead to paralysis, short-term memory loss, and even speech and vision problems.

Most people who are at risk for a stroke meet one or more of the following criteria:
55 years of age or over who have had a stroke or have a family history of stroke
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Heart disease
Cigarette smoking

While stroke survivorship is on the rise in the U.S., stroke patients need to be aware of their increased risk of suffering another stroke and how to help reduce that risk.

“It is important to note that those who survive an initial stroke are at increased risk for suffering another stroke or even a heart attack,” said Dr. Mark Alberts, professor of neurology at Northwestern University. “In fact, about 25 percent of people who recover from their first stroke will have another stroke within five years.”

Stroke survivors can help protect against another stroke or a future heart attack by working with their doctors to develop a plan that may include lifestyle changes and appropriate medications.

“It is critical to understand the steps that stroke survivors can take to help reduce their risk of another stroke, including exercise, dietary changes, and antiplatelet therapy such as Plavix® (clopidogrel bisulfate) or aspirin,” said Dr. Alberts.

With lifestyle changes and appropriate medication, the risk of another stroke can be reduced. If you might be at risk for another stroke, talk to your doctor.

If you have a stomach ulcer or other condition that causes bleeding, you shouldn't use PLAVIX. When taking PLAVIX alone or with some medicines including aspirin, the risk of bleeding may increase. To minimize this risk, talk to your doctor before taking aspirin or other medicines with PLAVIX. Additional rare but serious side effects could occur.

To learn more about PLAVIX, please visit www.plavix.com or call (877) 547-4079.

Please see full prescribing information by visiting www.plavix.com.

*This article was prepared by the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.

** Dr. Mark Alberts is a consultant for the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.

Courtesy of ARA Content