You know the stroke stereotype: They all happen to elderly men.
Wrong, wrong wrong.
For evidence that we need more stroke awareness efforts, an excerpt from an article about how women are often unaware of stroke risk:
The survey shows that:
* Only seven of 37 women (19%) with irregular heart rhythm and 11 of 71 (15%) with known heart disease identified these conditions as risk factors for stroke.
* Just 3% of the women surveyed correctly identified irregular heart rhythm as a stroke risk factor; 16% identified heart disease and 36% identified diabetes as risk factors.
* Two-thirds of the women considered their health to be good or excellent; about 70% said they rarely or never worried about stroke.
2 comments:
somentiJeff,
I am very impressed with your site and have recommended it to stroke survivors and healthcare professionals caring for stroke patients and their families. I am the Stroke Outreach Program Coordinator at The Methodist Hospital in Houston TX and have the privilege to provide community and healthcare professional education on all issues related to stroke. We reached over 5,000 people last year on a variety of topics in a variety of settings. I am also the wife of a stroke survivor and a Christian. You speak to me on many levels.
The reason I decided to write today was because I want to thank you for your posting on the special issues women face in cardiovascular health. I just did a presentation at our annual Neuroscience Nursing Symposium on this topic so it is foremeost in my mind these days. Keep up the good work, and thanks from a fan.
Thanks for the positive note! Your work can save lives and is incredibly important.
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