Every year, more than 108,000 strokes happen in Canada and yet many people don’t know the risk factors, or how to recognize if someone is having a stroke and know what to do. A stroke occurs when blood stops flowing to part of the brain or when there’s bleeding in the brain, causing brain cells to die. There are almost a million people in Canada living with stroke.
Here are five surprising facts
Stroke can happen at any age.
While stroke risk increases as people get older, stroke can happen to anyone. Young adults, babies and young children can all have strokes. In fact, risk of stroke in children is greatest in the weeks surrounding their birth; every day in Canada one baby has a stroke during this critical time and more than 10,000 children are living with stroke.
“Before I had my stroke, I thought only older people could get them. I had no idea that I was even able to have one,” says Samantha Gomez. The former Mrs. Universe Canada experienced a severe ischemic stroke at only 23 years old. Read Samantha’s story.
Stroke is on the rise — but more people survive.
A stroke now occurs roughly every five minutes in Canada. Our aging population is one reason for the rise, and more younger people are having strokes. This is linked to increases in risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. The number of people surviving stroke has increased over the past several decades and now almost one million people in Canada are living with stroke.
Would you recognize the FAST signs of stroke?
Stroke is linked to heart health.
“The heart can affect the brain, the brain can affect the heart, and they can both be affected by other processes in the body” says Dr. Thalia Field, a stroke neurologist, professor of medicine at the University of British Columbia and a Heart & Stroke funded researcher who is leading a team examining how heart defects can impact brain health. Read about Dr. Field’s research.
Heart conditions like heart failure, congenital heart disease and atrial fibrillation can increase the risk of stroke – sometimes dramatically – and stroke can increase the risk of heart conditions such as cardiac arrest. This is because the heart and brain are connected by the vascular system – a network of vessels that carry blood and oxygen throughout the body.
Ken Wong, a television producer, father and avid runner was in his 40s when he had a stroke. Tests eventually revealed that Ken was born with a small hole between the upper chambers in his heart, called a patent foramen ovale (PFO) which can increase the risk of stroke caused by a clot. “That’s not necessarily why I had a stroke, but that could be the reason,” Ken recalls. “Learning that was like a kind of resolution; a bit of relief.” Read Ken’s story.
Stroke can be prevented.
Up to 80% of premature stroke and heart disease can be prevented by embracing healthy habits like eating a healthy diet, being active and living smoke-free. This is harder for some people than others because of factors like how much money they have, where they live and other inequities. And some risk factors like age, sex and family history cannot be changed.
Don’t try to change yourself overnight. Start with something that is relatively easy and build on your successes. Try some heart-healthy recipes and ease into exercise to get started.
Knowing the FAST stroke signs saves lives.
Recognizing the signs of stroke and acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death, or between a better recovery and a lasting disability.
FAST is an easy and memorable way to remember the major signs of stroke:
F Face, is it drooping?
A Arms, can you raise them?
S Speech, is it slurred or jumbled?
T Time to call 9-1-1 right away
Beat stroke. Call 9-1-1 FAST. Learn the signs and share them with a friend.
