After heart disease and cancer, strokes kill more Americans than any other cause. Stroke —sometimes called a brain attack—also is America’s leading cause of disability. Even so, too many people remain unaware of stroke’s risk factors, warning signs and the importance of getting rapid help.

What Is a Stroke?

A stroke usually occurs when a blood vessel to the brain becomes clogged. Deprived of oxygen and nutrients, brain cells die. The parts of the body controlled by those cells then stop functioning, leading to mental disability, loss of speech or movement—even death.

“A stroke is like a small part of the brain is drowning, and if you don’t re-establish blood flow within a very short period of time, part of the brain is irreversibly damaged,” says Dr. Bruce Deas, Medical Director of Sutter Lakeside Hospital’s emergency services. “People call for help when they experience chest pain, and they should do the same for stroke symptoms.”

Who Suffers a Stroke?

While certain lifestyle behaviors can put you at a higher danger for a stroke, there are some risk factors that can’t be controlled. They include:

• Heredity: You face a greater risk if a parent, grandparent or sibling has had a stroke.


• Race: African-Americans have a much higher risk for death from a stroke than Caucasians do. This is partly because they face greater risks for high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.


• Gender: Stroke is more common in men than in women; however, women have a higher rate of disability and death from stroke than men. This is due to hormone changes of pregnancy, childbirth and menopause.


• History: A person who has already had a stroke, heart attack or ministroke (called a TIA, or transient ischemic attack) has a greater risk for a later stroke.

Common stroke warning signs

Act FAST

People may have a hard time remembering the long list of stroke symptoms. The acronym FAST combines three common stroke warning signs with a plan of rapid action.

F = Face numbness or weakness, especially on one side
A = Arm numbness or weakness, especially on one side of the body
S = Speech slurring or difficulty speaking or understanding
T = Time to call 911, if these symptoms occur suddenly or accompany vision problems, loss of balance, dizziness or a sudden, severe headache

Women who suffer a stroke, however, often experience less common symptoms. These can include:

• Sudden hiccups


• Nausea


• Fatigue


• Chest pain


• Shortness of breath


• Racing heartbeat

Treat all of these symptoms as a 911 emergency, even if they disappear after a few minutes.

“Unlike 10 years ago, we now have medical and interventional therapies to treat patients,” says Dr. Deas. “But if you come in a day after you’ve had a stroke, we can’t do much.”

Time Is Brain

Doctors now can treat stroke with the same drug they often use for heart attacks, but it must be given within three hours of initial symptoms. The drug, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), actually dissolves blood clots that block vessels to the brain. Research shows that patients who receive the drug within three hours of a stroke may be at least 30 percent more likely to recover with little or no disability.

Unfortunately, in a recent government study, fewer than half of stroke patients got to the hospital within two hours. Because tests must take place before tPA can be administered, arriving too late can make a stroke patient ineligible for tPA therapy.

If time is vital, why do people hesitate to seek help during a stroke?

“Most brain attacks are not painful, and pain tends to be the big driver in getting someone to go to an emergency room,” says Dr. Deas. “The natural tendency is to be in denial and just assume that the numbness in your arm is because you slept on it funny.”

Cut Your Stroke Risk

Recognizing the signs of a stroke and treating it as a medical emergency are crucial. Still, prevention is even better. You can lower your risk for stroke by taking these steps:

• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check. This includes taking prescribed medications, if necessary.


• Control your diabetes, if necessary.


• Quit smoking, if you smoke.


• Drink alcohol in moderation. That means one drink a day if you’re a woman and two drinks a day if you’re a man.


• Exercise every day to promote circulation and a healthy weight.


• Eat a low-fat diet that includes five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

To learn more about the medical advances Sutter Lakeside Hospital is bringing to stroke patients, visit the SLH Foundation page.