According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 795,000 Americans have a stroke each year. About 185,000 of them had had a stroke before.

A kind Stroke If it is not recognized and treated in time, it may cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability or death. This is why some Philadelphia doctors will work together to educate residents on how to recognize stroke signs and how to prevent recurrence.

The Frazier Family Stroke Education and Prevention Alliance organized a two-part virtual event on stroke prevention. The first part will be held at 7pm on Thursday. The next part will be held at 7pm on May 27th.

Dr. Paul M. Katz and Dr. Paul M. Katz, Chair of the Department of Neurology, Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Temple University Vickie of Jefferson Health and Robert H. Rosenwasser, CEO of Jack Farber Institute of Neuroscience, were both speakers. Each of them talked to PhillyVoice about the measures people can take to prevent stroke.

Reduce the risk of stroke

Need to reduce the risk factors of stroke, such as As high blood pressure, diabetes, During the two-night event, especially in communities where these conditions are common, coronary heart disease and smoking will be the focus.

Katz said people often don’t realize they have these risk factors until they have a stroke or heart attack. But in order to prevent future incidents, it is important to identify them and keep them under control.

He said: “For communities like North Philadelphia, this is especially important because the population there is very complex and there are many risk factors.”

a lot of North Philadelphia Residents live below the poverty line and have no access to medical care and healthy food. The incidence of obesity, diabetes and heart disease in these communities is higher than that of other urban residents. Life expectancy is much shorter than elsewhere in the city.

Katz said: “Prevention strategies and maintaining medical care are important, but in North Philadelphia it is a challenge.”

Even if a person cannot go to a doctor, making some healthy lifestyle changes (such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and eating a healthier diet) can be beneficial.

“We do know that the prevalence of diabetes and diabetes is high in the African American community and other people of color hypertension,” Rosenwasser says. “Whether you go to the doctor or not, this information is very important.”

They said that it is also important to control diabetes and high blood pressure with drugs. If not handled properly, these conditions can lead to various complications-stroke is one of them.

Studies have also shown that obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure put some people at a higher risk of severe COVID-19. A study It was found that diabetes and high blood pressure may increase the risk of COVID-19 brain complications.

according to U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesTo reduce the risk of stroke, healthy lifestyle changes should also include keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels within normal limits, and treating heart disease if necessary.

“This is something everyone must have and understand.” Rosenwasser says. “Take care of your diabetes, high blood pressure and quit smoking. These are the risks that we can reduce in our daily lives. Diet and exercise are also important.

“Although some risk factors are hereditary, we want people to take some responsibility for their health. No, it is not easy.”

How to recognize a stroke

The virtual event will also emphasize the importance of identifying the signs of stroke.

This CDC If people think they have a stroke, it is recommended that people take the FAST test. The acronym was developed by physicians in the UK to make the identification of stroke signs easier.

F-Face: Make the other person smile. Will one side of the face sag?
A—Weapon: Ask the person to raise their hands. Will one arm drift down?
S-voice: Ask the other party to repeat a simple phrase. The content of the speech is vague or strange?
T-Time: If you see any of these signs, please call 911 immediately.

Other stroke symptoms This includes sudden numbness or weakness in the legs, sudden discomfort in one or both eyes, sudden dizziness, difficulty walking or loss of balance, and sudden severe headache without known cause.

When treating stroke, time is of the essence. The treatment available is best if given within the first few hours of symptoms.

Health experts advise people Note the time when the symptoms started. This will help the doctor determine the best treatment plan. They also urge people to call an ambulance so that life-saving treatment can begin before potential stroke victims reach the hospital.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the most common way to restore blood flow to the brain is through emergency intravenous medication or emergency surgery.

Intravenous injection of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator or tPA is the standard treatment for ischemic stroke, but it must be given within 4.5 hours of the onset of symptoms to successfully dissolve the blood clot. Sometimes, doctors will open blocked blood vessels for treatment during emergency surgery.

Experts say that even if the symptoms disappear within a few minutes, it is important to seek medical help. These events are called transient ischemic attacks and are signs of a serious underlying disease.

Rosenwasser said people should call 911 even if they are not sure whether the symptoms are stroke. Let the doctor make a decision.

Register for the event

The first part of the virtual event It will commemorate the life of Luther Vandross, an R&B icon who died in 2005. Wandros Never fully recovered from a stroke two years ago. He has also struggled with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes for a long time.

Vandross’ first cousin Rosalind Shackelford and his former personal assistant Max Szadek will give speeches on the first night. Szadek is the head of Divabetic, a national non-profit organization that promotes diabetes self-care. Rosenwasser will also make an appearance.

Katz is one of the people scheduled to give a speech the next night.

Those who are interested in participating in the event can register online Or call (215) 707-3555.