Survey shows risk for recurrent stroke understood,
yet gap exists in prevention efforts

Recurrent Stroke Remains Serious Health Threat Despite Available Lifestyle Changes, Therapies

Although stroke is the third leading cause of death and a leading cause of debilitation in the United States, a significant gap exists among Americans between general understanding of stroke and stroke prevention efforts. According to a new survey issued today by The National Council on the Aging (NCOA), Americans understand that those who have had a stroke are at greater risk for a future one, yet stroke survivors are not taking all the possible steps to protect their health.

While 88% of those surveyed recognized that a person who has a stroke is at greater risk to have another one, statistics show that one-third of all strokes are recurrent, even though there are lifestyle changes and medications available today that can help reduce risk. Additionally, 66% of respondents said they knew someone who had suffered a stroke, but many of those who survived were not exercising regularly (32%), refraining from smoking (19%) or watching their diet (18%) -- simple steps proven to help prevent a future stroke.

"Those who have already had a stroke can make changes to their everyday routines to lower their risk for a second stroke or a heart attack," said Mark Alberts, MD, professor of neurology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois. "It is particularly important that stroke survivors and their families or caregivers work closely with their physician to develop an individualized treatment plan, which will often include medication."

In addition to basic lifestyle changes, risk of recurrent stroke can be reduced by using appropriate medicines. For instance, many patients may benefit from antiplatelet therapy that prevents blood platelets from sticking together and clotting, thus helping to reduce stroke risk.

Research shows that after surviving a stroke, men have a 42% chance of having another one within five years, and women have a 24% chance during the same time period. Suffering an initial stroke also puts people at increased risk for having a heart attack, a leading cause of death that affects over one million Americans each year. Similarly, having a heart attack also increases the risk of having a first or recurrent stroke.

Confusion about Stroke Risk Factors, Symptoms

The survey results show that many Americans incorrectly identified excessive stress (87%), overexertion while exercising (56%), dehydration (38%), asthma attacks (24%) and wearing constrictive clothing (16%) as risk factors for stroke. Respondents also mistakenly selected shortness of breath (53%) and heart palpitations (50%) as stroke symptoms. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed failed to recognize the age range (age 65+) most affected by stroke.

Older Americans At Greatest Risk for Stroke Show Little Concern

While two-thirds of all strokes occur in people over 65, only one in eight (12%) of those surveyed in this age group indicated they were most concerned about experiencing a stroke, given the choice of other serious conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and diabetes that result in fewer fatalities. Additionally, 75% of seniors surveyed said they have never talked to their doctor about stroke risk.

"For older Americans, stroke poses a significant health risk, so it is alarming to us that so few seniors have discussed their personal risk for stroke with their doctor," said James P. Firman, president and CEO of NCOA. "Better education is clearly needed to help all Americans understand their risk of stroke to protect their health."

Tip Sheet Available

To help educate the public during National Stroke Awareness Month, the NCOA has developed a "Stroke Survival" tip sheet that provides essential information for reducing stroke risk and making a home "stroke prepared. " Easy-to-follow pointers, such as "Keep a phone on a low table" and "Provide a neighbor with a list of emergency numbers," are included. The information can be accessed at www.ncoa.org.

About Stroke

Stroke affects more than 700,000 people each year -- approximately one person every 45 seconds. Annually, strokes lead to an estimated 168,000 fatalities. Strokes result from a sudden interruption of blood flow to any part of the brain, which in turn injures or kills brain tissue. This damage impairs normal function in the parts of the body controlled by the affected brain area. Stroke can lead to severe impairments, including debilitation from paralysis, short-term memory loss and even speech and vision problems that may result in the need for long-term care. The sooner a stroke patient receives treatment, the more likely that long-term damage can be prevented.

Survey Methodology

The survey was conducted by the NCOA though an unrestricted educational grant from Sanofi-Synthelabo and Bristol-Myers Squibb. The telephone survey was conducted from April 24 through April 28, by ICR/International Communications Research of Media, PA. For results based on the total qualified sample (n=992) there is 95% confidence that the error attributed to sampling and other random effects is +/- 3.1 percentage points. The n=450 respondents aged 55 and older were deliberately oversampled.