The CDC says someone in the United
States has a stroke every 40 seconds,
every 3 1/2 minutes.
Someone dies of stroke in
today's two year well being,
we're reviewing what we all
should know about strokes.
It could save your life or
that of a loved one.
So to help you do that,
we have Doctor Ashish Arora with
Cone Health Medical Group and he's
giving you all the information
that we all need to start.
OK, so first and foremost,
let's kind of set the stage here.
Some folks think that only older
adults seniors are the ones
who are at risk for strokes.
That's actually not correct.
We have been seeing strokes in all
age groups from as young as neonatal
period to the elderly people.
As you've said, so strokes can happen at
any age group to anyone at any time. OK,
and that is just a scary thought
that that is something that
can happen no matter what.
So how are strokes preventable?
What and steps and things
should we be following?
Very good question.
So the there are certain things that
we can't change about ourselves.
Our genetics are hereditary things that
we inherit from our parents and families,
but the things that are under our control
are the modifiable risk factors such
as controlling high blood pressure,
quitting smoking, exercising regularly.
Most recently in the pandemic we've
seen association of blood clots that
go to the brain and cause strokes
with the COVID-19 infection itself.
So if you are at high risk for COVID,
get vaccinated.
And prevent yourself from being a
victim of one of the complications
that we've seen with the pandemic.
All right. So, are there health issues
that people should be aware of that
increase their risk of having stroke?
I know you had said the blood pressure,
but what other things are we looking
at? So the other factors are advanced age,
high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation,
which is an abnormal heart rhythm.
If you have that,
you need to speak with your doctor and
your cardiologist to be inadequate
blood thinning medications that
can prevent your chances.
Of strokes smoking a big big
nono and a big risk factor.
All right, and So what would you
say to someone who thinks OK?
I think I have a family history of
stroke or I'm at an increased risk risk.
Is there anything or nothing that I can do?
No, there are certain steps that everybody,
irrespective of family history,
but more so when you have a family
history you should be doing.
You should be seeing your doctors regularly.
You should follow their advice.
You should get your blood tests checked.
You should check your cholesterol.
You should check your blood pressure.
If you have high blood pressure
you should be treating that
regularly and adequately under
the supervision of your physician.
OK, so I know that after the break
we're going to talk about the warning
signs and what to do if you think
someone is having a stroke that you
know it could possibly save a life.
But is there anything that's
just on the generic thing of OK?
We're just talking about strokes,
and once again I think we should reiterate
that it can happen to any age group.
That is correct. You should be looking
for signs of any sudden change that can
happen in a person and we'll talk about
that later when we talk about the P fast.
Any sudden change in neurological function
should raise a suspicion for a stroke.
OK, and so when you said we
need to be seeing our doctor,
especially if we have that predisposition,
we need them to do the full
blood work every single year.
Correct? And based on your risk factors,
they might suggest you medicines.
They might suggest that you
only change your lifestyle and
have exercise introduced more.
Change your diet and other lifestyle
modifications so it would be very
specific to specific people and that is
why your doctor is going to be your best
friend in determining your risks and
preventing strokes in you in particular.
And this is one of those things where
a lot of times because of COVID people
just didn't get to see their doctor.
That is correct and we are making
all efforts here in our system
and all the health systems
nationwide so that we can access.
We can provide access to our patients,
whether in person or through telemedicine,
to be able to get them to see their
doctors in a more timely manner.
All right. So maybe we've been putting
it off or we weren't able to get the
appointments and things of that nature.
So we're urging you to get those
preventative appointments made.
Alright, we're going to take a quick
break and we will be right back.