Statewide Iowa — Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in Iowa, claiming about 14-hundred lives a year, and a campaign is underway to teach Iowans about the symptoms and the importance of acting quickly.
Dr. Clinton Wright, with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, says in addition to being potentially deadly, strokes cause more serious long-term disabilities than any other disease.
A federal report says someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds, while every four minutes, someone dies of stroke. Wright says it’s important that everyone knows the warning signs — and knows to respond right away.
The risk of stroke varies with race and ethnicity, according to the CDC. The risk of having a stroke is nearly twice as high for blacks as for whites, and blacks have the highest stroke death rate. When treated quickly, Wright says surviving a stroke is possible and damage can be greatly reduced.
The Iowa Department of Public Health says stroke is the sixth highest cause of death in Iowa, behind heart disease, cancer, chronic lower respiratory disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and unintentional injuries. For more information, visit www.stroke.nih.gov.
