Ask Mr. Pedometer and Friends…
May 2019
Did you know that May is Stroke Awareness Month? The National Stroke Association is raising awareness about strokes because of how debilitating they can be for survivors and because they can happen to anyone, at any age. Knowing how to tell if someone is having a stroke could be the key to saving their life. And knowing the risk factors and what we can do to prevent them is a good way to protect ourselves. Full recovery from a stroke is dependent upon how quickly the person gets medical help.
Remember to “Act F.A.S.T., which translates as follows: 
-
F= Face – Does the person’s face drop on one side when they try to smile?
-
A = Arm – After raising both arms, does one of the person’s arms drift downward?
-
S = Speech – When repeating a simple phrase, is the person’s speech slurred or strange?
-
T = Time – If ANY or all of the above are observed, it’s time to call 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance.
Help save someone’s life by remembering that simple acronym. For more information, see the National Stroke Association Website TheNSA is urging people to look at their stroke risk factors, and commit to making at least one change to reduce their stroke risk.
Here’s how much stroke would be reduced if each was eliminated:
-
*Hypertension 47.9%
-
*Physical inactivity 35.8%
-
*Lipids (blood fats) 26.8%
-
Poor diet 23.2%
-
*Obesity 18.6%
-
Smoking 12.4%
-
*Heart causes 9.1%
-
Alcohol intake 5.8%
-
*Stress 5.8%
-
*Diabetes 3.9%