This is the day to move those hips. Sway them. Wiggle them. Go ahead and get loose because African Americans are at a greater risk of having a stroke than any other group.
In fact, African Americans are almost twice as likely to suffer a stroke as whites.
Stop scratching your head, wondering exactly what a stroke is. It’s a cardiovascular disease. And it’s the third largest cause of death in the United States, right behind heart disease and cancer. It affects the blood supply leading to the brain. If a blood clot blocks oxygen and nutrients from getting to the brain, a stroke will occur. When this happens, the brain starts to die.
The reason why African Americans are at a greater risk is mainly because they have higher blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes. But there are ways to reduce your risk. Start by joining the Power To End Stroke, a campaign from the American Heart Association, dedicated to helping African Americans fight stroke.
Visit go.heart.org. Educate yourself about stroke. Tell your family and friends. Better yet, tell the world. And make a commitment not to become a statistic.
Stroke continues to be a growing health problem in the United States, and everyone should be made aware of what a stroke is. Someone suffers a stroke every 45 seconds. Which means that by the time you’ve finished reading this, several people would’ve just suffered a stroke.
Take action now by learning the warning signs of stroke and act quickly if you or someone around you experiences any of these symptoms:
• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding others
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
It can mean the difference between surviving a stroke and minimizing long-term disability, or being physically and mentally devastated, or dying from it.
Also, know that several factors can increase your risk of having a stroke like family history, age, race or ethnicity and whether or not you’ve already had a stroke. These are called unmodifiable risk factors and can’t be controlled. However, other risk factors such as high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, obesity (overweight) and high cholesterol can be controlled and treated, which may reduce your risk of stroke.
To reiterate, just in case you skimmed through this, reduce your risk today. You have the Power to End Stroke:
Put down the cigarettes and stop smoking.
Observe advice from your doctor, and know your family’s medical history.
Watch your weight. Be physically active at least 30 minutes most days of the week. Engage in physical activities such as walking.
Eat healthy; avoid foods high in saturated, trans fat, cholesterol and sodium.
Regulate and control high blood pressure and diabetes.
Join the movement to prevent and overcome stroke. Visit go.heart.org or call the American Heart Association at 1-888-AHA-2222.
The Power To End Stroke campaign is supported nationally by the Bristol-Myers Squibb/Sanofi Pharmaceuticals Partnership.
