Needs for awareness, prevention are clear

I always pay special attention to news from my home state, Arkansas. A recent article from a newspaper called the Paragould Daily Press illustrates a life reclaimed thanks to clot-busting tPA and lists some statistics showing the need for stroke awareness and prevention in Arkansas:

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Arkansas had 1,875 stroke-related deaths in 2005, the most recent year for which data is available. Arkansas also ranks third highest among all states in stroke deaths, with 61 per 100,000, according to the CDC. The nationwide direct and indirect cost of medical and institutional care of permanently disabled stroke victims was more than $70 billion in 2009.

Since the program began Nov. 1, 2008, 99 stroke patients have been treated by Arkansas SAVES neurologists and 15 have received the t-PA.

(Map from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)