Anyone can have a stroke, regardless of age, sex or race. Your chances for having a stroke increase if you have certain risk factors.

Approximately 750,000 strokes will occur each year. 500,000 of those strokes could be prevented. Don’t be a statistic. Find out if you are at risk today.

What is StrokeAware?

Your health is important. That is why our Community Memorial Hospital Heart and Vascular Center offers a free, online stroke risk assessment. StrokeAware is a quick, 7-minute questionnaire that is designed to determine your risk factors for developing heart disease which can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

How do I start? Click the link to the Free Online StrokeAware Risk Evaluation to fill out the online risk assessment. At the end of the assessment, you will be asked if you want us to follow up with you. If you agree (and only if you agree), you will receive follow-up services, all FREE.

Is participation confidential? Yes. All information is between you and the hospital.

What if the evaluation shows I’m at risk for a stroke? A StrokeAware clinician will contact you and set up a 30-45 minute screening session with a cardiac registered nurse.

What happens at the screening? You are given a painless finger-stick blood test to check your Fasting cholesterol panel, glucose, EKG, BMI, fat and water % and your blood pressure are measured. The clinician will also ask you about your medical history as it pertains to cardiac care and evaluate your results for metabolic syndrome.

Is there follow-up after the screening? Yes, you will receive a confidential report. If the clinician thinks you should see a doctor about this, you will be referred to your family doctor or neurologist. Also, you will be given the option to be monitored annually or sooner if needed with lifestyle changes.

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What is a Stroke?

A stroke, commonly called a brain attack, cuts off vital blood flow and oxygen to the brain. It kills over 160,000 people each year and is the leading cause of adult disability.

Two million brain cells die every minute during a stroke increasing your risk of permanent brain damage, disability or death. More women than men die from strokes and stroke kills twice as many women as breast cancer each year. African Americans are twice as like to die from stroke as Caucasians.

There are two types of stroke:

• ISCHEMIC - occurs when arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the gradual build-up of plaque and other fatty deposits.
• HEMORRHAGIC – occurs when a blood vessel in the brain breaks leaking blood into the brain.

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Signs and Symptoms of Stroke:

• Sudden weakness numbness of face, arm or leg
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden loss of vision or double vision
• Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden severe and unusual headache

Call 911 and arrive at hospital within 3 hours from the onset of symptoms.