Dear Editor:
When people in New Jersey hear unfamiliar rattles or new squeaks under the hood of their cars, they instinctively call mechanics to get their cars checked out. They recognize “signs” that something might be wrong with their cars and take appropriate action, but the same is not true for recognizing warning signs of stroke — the third leading cause of death annually in the United States and a leading cause of serious disability.
Stroke is an urgent medical emergency and demands immediate attention. The American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, estimates that at least 600,000 people suffer a new or recurrent stroke annually, and some put that figure as high as 750,000 people. The human toll and economic burden of stroke on New Jersey and the country are devastating, yet 43 percent of Americans do not know a single warning sign of stroke. And studies have shown that most stroke patients wait, on average, 22 hours to get help. As a result, only 5 percent of stroke patients are receiving early acute treatment for stroke.
Is the gap between stroke’s devastating impact and lack of awareness and action because Americans don’t realize that stroke is treatable? Stroke is treatable, but every minute does count. Stroke symptoms can often be quite subtle, but it’s critical that more people learn the warning signs, and it’s just as important for people to seek immediate medical attention if they recognize any stroke warning sign or symptom. The clot-dissolving drug tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), which has already proven to be effective in halting heart attacks, can significantly reduce the debilitating effects of stroke and minimize permanent disability, when given promptly. For maximum benefit, t-PA therapy must be administered within three hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. That means, be at the hospital in the first 60 to 90 minutes.
TPA is the only Food and Drug Administration-approved drug proven to be effective in treating ischemic strokes which make up 80 percent of all strokes. However, not every stroke patient should receive t-PA, so prompt medical evaluation is crucial. Now more than ever before in the history of stroke treatment, every minute counts! If people know the warning signs of stroke and take immediate action, hundreds of thousands of patients could benefit from early stroke treatments such as t-PA. The American Stroke Association estimates that t-PA could be used in 400,000 or more stroke cases each year to save lives and reverse paralysis, but t-PA is currently being used in fewer than 10,000 cases each year.
May is a great time to learn your risk for stroke. May is Stroke Awareness Month. I urge New Jersey residents to learn the warning signs of stroke and find out your personal risk for stroke by taking advantage of the American Stroke Association’s free community stroke screening program called Stroke Alert! taking place May 18-25. Call the American Stroke Association at 1-888-4STROKE (1-888-478-7653) for a site near you.
Richard M. Hodosh, Chairman
American Stroke Association Task Force on Stroke
New Jersey Neurosurgeon and
Director of Neuroscience, Atlantic Health System