Strokes don’t discriminate. They can happen to anyone, at any age and about one in four people worldwide will have one in their lifetime. The good news? Eighty percent of first strokes may be prevented.
Stroke prevention is especially important now as much of what puts you at risk for a stroke, uncontrolled high blood pressure, smoking or obesity, increases your risk for complications due to COVID-19. High blood pressure is the leading preventable cause of stroke and up to 40 percent of Black adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure.
American Stroke Association volunteer expert, Dr. Carolyn Brockington, will discuss steps with the media and others to prevent a stroke and the disproportionate impact of high blood pressure and stroke on Black people. During her remarks, Dr. Brockington will answer questions which include: What do you need to know about strokes? What puts someone at higher risk of a stroke? Why are African Americans disproportionately affected? What can you do to reduce death and disability from stroke this World Stroke Day?
Earlier this month, on Oct. 17, World Hypertension Day was observed by the American Heart Association who gave its support to the U.S. Surgeon General’s call to action to improve blood pressure and make hypertension control a national priority. The CDC has a suite of partner materials, including social media, graphics and video assets you can use to share this news using their tagline We’ve Got This! and hashtag #HypertensionCTA.
Brockington is the director of the Stroke Center at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and Mount Sinai West Hospital in New York City. For many years, there were no therapies available to treat and prevent stroke, but with the publication of a landmark clinical study in 1996, the tide shifted and acute stroke treatment protocols were developed. Dr. Brockington cares for patients in the emergency room, hospital and out-patient. One of her clinical interests is the treatment and prevention of stroke in minority communities. Notably, the incidence of stroke and stroke-related mortality in the African-American and Hispanic communities is twice the rate found in white communities. She gives frequent lectures and provides stroke screenings to church and healthcare programs.
For more information, contact the American Heart Association in Arlington, 704-248-1712.