World Stroke Day --- October 29, 2010

Image via Wikipediaby the CDC

October 29 is World Stroke Day 2010. Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States (1). Approximately 795,000 strokes occur annually in the United States, with an estimated cost of more than $73 billion (1). The theme for this year's World Stroke Day is "One in Six," to raise awareness that one in six persons worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime, and that every 6 seconds, someone somewhere will die from a stroke (2,3).

This campaign stresses that the occurrence of stroke is common and widespread, but that stroke can be prevented and stroke survivors can recover and regain their quality of life with care and support. The campaign recommends the following six actions to reduce the likelihood of having a stroke:

• Know your personal risk factors, including diagnosed high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
• Be physically active and exercise regularly.
• Avoid obesity by eating a healthy diet with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Limit alcohol consumption.
• Avoid cigarette smoke. People who smoke should seek help to stop now.
• Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and call 9-1-1 right away if someone is suspected of having a stroke.

CDC addresses stroke prevention through state-based programs to prevent heart disease and stroke, through the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry, and through many other partnerships. Information about stroke and stroke prevention is available at http://www.cdc.gov/stroke, and additional information about World Stroke Day 2010 is available at http://www.worldstrokecampaign.org/pages/home.aspx. 

References

1. Lloyd-Jones D, Adams R, Brown TM, et al. Heart disease and stroke statistics 2010 update. A report from the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee. Circulation 2010;121:e46--215.
2. Seshadri S, Beiser A, Kelly-Hayes M, et al. The lifetime risk of stroke: estimates from the Framingham Study. Stroke 2006;37:345--50.
3. World Health Organization. The atlas of heart disease and stroke. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2004.