May is National Stroke Awareness Month

Every 45 seconds an American suffers a stroke! That's over 700,000 each year who are stricken and, of those, over 150,000 will die from stroke, according to the American Stroke Association. The National Stroke Council states that more than half of the strokes in the United States occurs because of carotid artery disease. Carotid artery disease is a vascular disease caused by the narrowing or blockage of the arteries located on each side of the neck. The process that blocks these arteries (atherosclerosis) is basically the same as that which causes both coronary artery disease and peripheral arterial disease. Noninvasive tests can determine if your carotid arteries have narrowed, and National Stroke Awareness Month is the perfect time to find out. Many clinics and doctors across the country are screening for carotid artery disease and other vascular disorders during the month of May. To see if there is a screening clinic near you, call 1-877-282-2010, or go to www.vdf.org and follow the link for Upcoming Events.

According to the National Stroke Association, 80 percent of all strokes are preventable. To find how you can prevent stroke go to www.stroke.org or www.strokeassociation.org, or call 1-800-STROKES.