The president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Cindy Cooke, was our guest on AM 1390's Talk of the Town. She cited a disturbing trend in the increase of strokes suffered by young people. There's been a 44 percent increase of young people being hospitalized due to strokes over the past 10 years. Research shows about 73 percent of young people don't recognize the signs of a stroke.

Cooke reminds us of the acronym F.A.S.T. in recognizing a possible stroke:

  • F is for Face. Does a person have a side of the face drooping?
  • A is for Arm. Does the person's arm when extended tend to then drop down?
  • S is for Speech. Does the person have slurred speech?
  • T is for Time. It is of the utmost in terms of survival and recovery.

Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. and about 80 percent of cases are preventable.

Cooke points out that the same practices for a healthy coronary system is the same for decreasing the odds of a stroke. They include monitoring blood pressure, maintaining proper weight, and exercising and ensuring a healthy amount of sleep.

Learn more about strokes on the American Heart Association webpage.

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