AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION Protect your heart and brain during American Stroke Month By: American Heart Association News Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke. That comes to about 800,000 people every year. Stroke is the fifth-leading cause of death in the country. It’s also a leading cause of serious, long-term disability. And Black Americans have a disproportionately higher prevalence of stroke – and the highest death rate – of any other racial group. But there’s good news: stroke is largely preventable, treatable and beatable. This May during American Stroke Month, the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, wants everyone to know how to beat a stroke. But first, let’s learn more about strokes. What is a stroke? Stroke is a disease that affects the arteries leading to and within the brain. It happens when normal blood flow in the brain is interrupted. When parts of the brain don’t get the oxygen-rich blood they need, those cells die. In turn, parts of the body won’t work as they should. Stroke can be caused either by a clot obstructing the flow of blood to the brain (called an ischemic stroke) or by a blood vessel rupturing and preventing blood flow to the brain (called a hemorrhagic stroke). A TIA (transient ischemic attack), or "mini stroke", is caused by a temporary clot. Every stroke is unique, but strokes tend to
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