By Dr. Gerard Muraida
May is Stroke Awareness month. The medical term for stroke is “cerebrovascular accident.” This means that the blood supply to a portion of the brain is compromised.
This lack of blood flow to the brain can occur in one of two ways. An ischemic stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is blocked or reduced. This prevents brain tissue from getting oxygen and nutrients. Brain cells begin to die in minutes. Another type of stroke is a hemorrhagic stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or bursts and causes bleeding in the brain. The spilled blood increases pressure on brain cells and damages them.
Motor weakness, stumbling, and loss of balance or coordination may be early signs of a stroke, as can vision difficulties, such as blurred or blackened vision in one or both eyes. Double vision might also occur. A sudden, severe headache, accompanied by vomiting, dizziness, and/or a change in consciousness is also common at onset. Other symptoms may include trouble speaking and understanding what others are saying. A person who is experiencing a stroke may be confused, may slur words or may not be able to understand speech. Numbness, weakness, or paralysis in the face, arm, or leg, typically affecting just one side of the body, is common. If a person tries to raise both arms over their head and one arm begins to fall, it may be a sign of a stroke. Also, one side of the mouth may droop when trying to smile.
Stroke awareness means if you witness any of these symptoms, you must act fast. Every second counts. Nearly 2 million brain cells die each minute a stroke remains untreated.
Luckily, there are roughly 171 billion cells in the average brain, including about 86 billion neurons. The cells that transmit signals are the neurons, while the remainder of brain cells are support cells called glial cells.
Although fewer Americans die of stroke now than in the past, almost 800,000 Americans die from stroke annually. Effective treatments administered early can help prevent disability and sometimes death from stroke.
Prevention is key to limiting the risk of a stroke. The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association have produced seven tips for stroke prevention: maintaining a normal blood pressure, controlling cholesterol levels, keeping blood sugars in check, staying active, eating well, losing weight, and if you smoke, stopping.
Blood pressure control is cited as being a key to stroke prevention, according to the January 2025 issue of the journal Stroke. Because only 30% of Americans get adequate blood pressure control with one antihypertensive agent, it is recommended to have at least two or more medications for primary prevention of a stroke. The article also suggests following a Mediterranean-style diet, supplemented with nuts and olive oil.
Furthermore, it reports the benefits of the diabetic class of medications commonly called GLP-1s. These medications have shown stellar activity in the management of type 2 diabetes, as well as for weight loss and lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. This recent data is incorporated into new recommendations for the use of these drugs in patients with diabetes and high cardiovascular risk or established cardiovascular disease.
Physical activity is essential for cardiovascular health and stroke risk reduction. Research has shown that sedentary behavior during waking hours is associated with an increased risk of stroke.
If you have diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular disease of any kind, and /or are overweight, ask your primary care provider to assess your stroke risk. Remember, an ounce – or two – of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
