Are you at risk of stroke?

Can't happen to you, right?

Wrong.

Strokes can happen to anyone, any age. People in general are so under the wrong impression about strokes. For example, all the following are completely wrong:

• Strokes always cause headaches. That's completely bogus - strokes might or might not have accompanying headaches.
• Stroke patients are all elderly. Wrong! People in their 50s, 40s, 30s and younger can have strokes. Mine came at age 39.
• Strokes only happen to people who don't take care of themselves. Again, wrong! It can happen to a distance runner or, in one case, an NFL linebacker!

In article with some vital facts and stats about strokes include a set of numbers form a study performed six months after a stroke in people who were older than 65:

• 30% needed assistance to walk
• 26% needed help with activities such as cooking, feeding, and paying their bills
• 19% had trouble speaking, or understanding others when they speak
• 35% had feelings of depression
• 50% had some degree of paralysis on one side of the body
• 26% became nursing home residents

So please, share the facts. The life you save might be your own!