National Stroke Association Launches Minorities and Stroke Campaign

Campaign Aims to Raise Awareness About Stroke Risk in Hispanics, African-Americans, and Women.

 Stroke is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and a leading cause of adult disability. Hispanics, African-Americans and women in the U.S. have higher stroke risks and lower recognition of stroke warning signs compared to other populations.

This May, during National Stroke Awareness Month, National Stroke Association's Minorities and Stroke video infographic, available in English and Spanish, is designed to creatively educate the public about the risk of stroke and the need to act FAST, especially for Hispanics, African-Americans and women.

"It's important that at-risk populations understand how to lower their risk for stroke," said Sharon Januchowski, Executive Vice President at National Stroke Association. "Women, Hispanics and African-Americans need to be aware of the stroke warning signs and actively manage controllable risk factors."

Stroke and heart disease account for one in four deaths among Hispanic men and one in three deaths among Hispanic women. View and share the video—learn more at stroke.org/awareness.

About Stroke 
A stroke is a brain attack that occurs when a blood clot blocks an artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. The first step to prevention is identifying if you have any controllable and uncontrollable risk factors and begin to manage them.

Stroke is an emergency. Treatment may be available if a person reaches the hospital in time. Recognizing warning signs can be easy if you remember to think FAST:

F= Face         Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?

A=Arms         Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

S= Speech     Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?

T=Time          If you observe any of these signs, then it's time to call 9-1-1.

About National Stroke Association 
National Stroke Association is the only national organization in the U.S. that focuses 100 percent of its efforts on stroke by developing compelling education and programs focused on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and support for all impacted by stroke. Founded in 1984, the organization works every day to meet its mission to reduce the incidence and impact of stroke.

Press Contact: Clair Diones 
cdiones@stroke.org 
303-754-0919

Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q_tDTDI6ik

SOURCE National Stroke Association

RELATED LINKS
http://www.stroke.org

Distributed via: CENTENNIAL, Colo., May 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --