June is Stroke Month and the Heart and Stroke Foundation wants you to know what to do in the event of stroke.

Kate Chidester, the Vice-President of Advocacy, Health and Research of Heart and Stroke in Alberta says statistics show that stroke can happen at any age.  "The majority of people, about 80 per cent, survive stroke.  So, as the Canadian population ages, and more young people are having strokes the number of people living with stroke and requiring support continues to increase.  In fact there are more than 400,000 Canadians living with long term disability from stroke and this number is expected to double in the next 20 years."

Stroke in younger adults, age 20 to 59, is on the rise at a rate faster than with older adults.  Chidester says vascular risk factors in this age group are also on the rise.  "Things like high blood pressure, diabetes and unhealthy life styles are on the rise in younger age groups and we're worried about this age group and really want to encourage people to understand their risks and really look at what they can do to reduce their risk."

Heart and Stroke has launched a public awareness campaign to ensure that, in the event of the signs of a stroke, Albertans will get to a hospital quickly.  That campaign is the FAST Signs of Stroke campaign.  "FAST is, F is for face, is it drooping.  A is for arms, can you raise both.  S is for speech, is it garbled or jumbled.  T is for time, time to call 9-1-1."

Great progress has been made in the treatment of stroke, according to Chidester.  The mortality rate has dropped from 14 per cent in 2003 to 10.9 per cent in 2015.  "Some of the best research in the world is happening right here, on the ground in Alberta, but we need people to know these FAST signs, because time is brain and if you delay getting to hospital when you're having a stroke recovery is much more difficult.  Medical advancements have been incredible but we need people to get to hospital as soon as they recognize the signs of stroke."

 

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