Stroke
- Stroke is the second leading
cause of death in the US.
- In 1997, there were 600,000
strokes and 160,000 deaths from stroke.
- Every 53 seconds, one American
suffers a new or recurrent stroke.
- Stroke is the nation's leading
cause of adult disability.
- Stroke is also known as a "brain
attack."
- At all ages, more women die
of stroke than men. Stroke claims the lives of nearly ¼ more women than men
in the United States each year.
- There are now approximately
4.4 million stroke survivors.
- The cost of stroke-related
care is approximately $40 billion per year.
- Risk factors for stroke include
high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, and diabetes.
- More than ¼ of women who suffer
a stroke in a given year are under 65.
- Stroke is more common than
heart attack among women under age 45.
- Women over age 30 who smoke
and take high-estrogen oral contraceptives (50 micrograms of estrogen
or more) increase their risk of stroke 22 times.
- According to a Gallup Poll
by the National Stroke Association on stroke awareness, one-fifth of all Americans
cannot name even one stroke symptom.
Long-term effects of stroke:
- Four million Americans are permanently disabled from paralysis, speech
loss, memory loss or other impairments caused by stroke.
- Among those who have suffered a stroke:
- 71% have some form of diminished vocational capacity.
- 31% experience moderate to severe permanent impairments that require special
medical care.
- 16% require care in a nursing home or other long-term care facility.
Costs
of stroke:
- Stroke costs $45 billion annually in the United States in direct medical
costs and indirect costs, such as loss of productivity.
- The average cost of a stroke in the United States for the first week of
hospitalization, treatment and rehabilitation is more than $18,000.
Types
of stroke:
- There are two major types of stroke: ischemic and hemorrhagic. Approximately
80% of strokes are ischemic, meaning that they are caused by blood clots that
block the flow of blood to the brain.
Treatment
of stroke:
- Activase (Alteplase, recombinant), a clot-dissolving or "thrombolytic"
agent, is available to treat acute ischemic stroke in eligible patients who
are evaluated in time to begin therapy within three hours of experiencing
stroke. As with all thrombolytic agents, Activase therapy increases the risk
of bleeding, including intracranial bleeding, and should be used only in appropriate
patients. Benefits of therapy will vary among eligible patients. Not all
patients with acute ischemic stroke will be eligible for Activase therapy,
including patients with evidence of intracranial hemorrhage, evidence of recent
or active bleeding, recent previous stroke, uncontrolled high blood pressure,
or impaired blood clotting.
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Sources
American
Heart Association. 1999 Heart and Stroke Statistical Update; 1999.
American Heart Association. "Take Charge! A Woman's Guide to Fighting Stroke";
1997.
National Stroke Association. "The Stroke/Brain Attack Reporter's Handbook";
1997.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Brain Basics: Preventing
Stroke. Pub. No. 95-3440-b.
Activase(r) (Alteplase, recombinant) Prescribing Information, Genentech, Inc;
1996.
Liu et al, JAMA, 9/27/00.
Created: 12/26/2001 - Donnica Moore, M.D.
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