Stroke

Minority Women's Health > African Americans > Health Topics > Stroke

On average, every 45 seconds someone in the U.S. has a stroke. A stroke happens when part of the brain doesn't get the blood it needs. Strokes can kill brain cells. This may cause a person to lose control of their speech, movement, and memory.

African Americans are affected by stroke more than any other group. The rate of stroke in African-American women is almost twice that of white women. African American women also have a higher risk of dying from a stroke than white women. African Americans tend to have higher rates of these risk factors for stroke: high blood pressure, diabetes, sickle cell anemia, obesity, family history of stroke, and no leisure exercise.

A stroke happens fast. Most people have two or more signs.

The most common signs are:

sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg (mainly on one side of the body)
sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance
sudden confusion or trouble talking or understanding speech
sudden bad headache with no known cause

Women may also have these symptoms:

sudden face and arm or leg pain
sudden hiccups
sudden nausea (feeling sick to your stomach)
sudden tiredness
sudden chest pain
sudden shortness of breath (feeling like you can't get enough air)
sudden pounding or racing heartbeat

If you have any of these symptoms, call 911.

Take these steps to help prevent a stroke:

Don't smoke. If you smoke, try to quit. For help along the way, check out our Quitting Smoking section.
Keep a healthy weight.
Get moving. Aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, most days of the week. Try taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Or, walk during breaks at work.
Eat right. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
Know your numbers. Ask your doctor to check your blood pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides) and blood glucose (sugar).

Publications

Brain Basics: Preventing Stroke - This brochure provides information on stroke prevention and how to tell the signs of a stroke. It includes warning signs, an explanation of risk factors, and a description of treatable risk factors.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/preventing_stroke.htm
Know Stroke. Know the Signs. Act in Time - This publication contains information on what a stroke is, what the signs of someone having a stroke are, and what can be done to prevent stroke.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/knowstroke.htm
Stroke - This fact sheet provides information on strokes and offers tips for stroke prevention. It also gives a list of warning signs that may indicate a stroke is happening.
http://www.niapublications.org/agepages/stroke.asp
Stroke and African Americans - This publication provides numerous statistics about African Americans and stroke.
http://www.omhrc.gov/templates/content.aspx?ID=3022
Stroke: Hope Through Research - This brochure contains comprehensive information on stroke, including information on what a stroke is, what the risk factors are, and what research is being conducted in this area.
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/stroke/detail_stroke.htm
African Americans and Stroke (Copyright © NSA) - This web site links to information for African Americans from the National Stroke Association.
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=AAMER
Caring for Someone Who Has a Stroke (Copyright © AHA) - This fact sheet contains information on what a caregiver's role is when caring for someone who has had a stroke. It also provides information on where to go for help if you are feeling overwhelmed with your caregiving responsibilities.
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=2875
Reducing Stroke in African Americans (Copyright © NSA) - This brochure educates African Americans about stroke risk facts and signs of a stroke.
http://www.stroke.org/site/DocServer/AFAM.broch.pdf?docID=581
The Brain - Effects of Stroke (Copyright © AMA) - The American Medical Association (AMA) offers a colorful and easy-to-understand diagram of the brain and how it is affected by a stroke. A glossary is also included on this page that provides explanations of the scientific terms used in describing the effects of stroke on the brain.
http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/7146.html
Women and Stroke: Unique Symptoms in Women (Copyright © ASA) - This fact sheet describes the unique symptoms that women may experience when having a stroke, in comparison to the general symptoms that both men and women may experience. It also provides guidelines on how to act "F.A.S.T." and respond to an emergency situation.
http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WOMSYMP

Organizations

= Indicates Federal Resources

Current as of December 2007