SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Stroke is responsible for 1,100 deaths every year in West Virginia, according to the American Heart Association.
“Over 6 million people a year will die from stroke and every 40 seconds, someone will have one,” said Kevin Pauley, communications director for AHA in West Virginia.
Friday was World Stroke Day. Officials with AHA, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, and Thomas Health System hosted an awareness event at Thomas Memorial Hospital in South Charleston.
“The things that you do to take care of your heart are the same things you would need to do to take care of your brain where it’s all connected,” Pauley said.
Pauley said one of the big factor of stroke is stress, so AHA encourages people to walk 30 minutes a day to help reduce stress levels and high blood pressure.
To remember the symptoms of stroke, Pauley offered the acronym F.A.S.T.
“F for face drooping, A for arm weakness, S for speech slurred and T for time to call 911,” he said.
Pauley said although 80 percent of strokes are preventable, it can still happen to anybody.
“The simple fact is it’s still the number five killer and the number two killer in the world,” he said. “While more and more people are surviving, that’s a great testament to the fact that we have wonderful EMS teams here in West Virginia that are getting people picked up quicker.”
To learn more about stroke, visit strokeassociation.org or call 1-888-4STROKE.