May is Stroke Awareness Month
What you should know…

Individuals with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and carotid artery disease have been shown to have a high prevalence for stroke. Atherosclerosis in the arteries can speed the clotting process that can lead to stroke. We urge you to take advantage of Stroke Awareness Month—take time to learn more about stroke and stroke prevention. Call 1-800-STROKES or visit www.strokeassociation.org or www.stroke.org. Also, our fall 2003 issue (Vol.3, No.3) had a lot of information about stroke prevention and what causes stroke.

According to the National Stroke Association:

• Every 53 seconds someone in the US experiences a stroke.
• Stroke is the third leading cause of death in this country.
• One third of strokes occur in women under the age of 65.

High blood pressure is one of the key risk factors for stroke because it puts unneccessary stress on blood vessel walls. Some other risk factors include age, smoking, diabetes, PAD, heart disease or family history of heart disease or stroke, a TIA (mini-stroke), high cholesterol or atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm).

For more information about stroke resources, visit our web site at www.vdf.org.