May is National Stroke Awareness Month! According to the National Institutes of Health, a 2018 National Health Interview Survey found that 7.8 million Americans have suffered from a stroke. For many years, the rate of strokes in the United States had declined, but due to rising rates of obesity, this decline has reversed, and the incidence of strokes in the United States is rising.

Studies show that there is a connection between high blood pressure, dementia, and stroke. Therefore, controlling high blood pressure has become an integral part of stroke prevention and awareness efforts.

Several prominent health organizations promote stroke awareness and provide guidelines for the lay public and health providers:

  • The American Heart Association: 

             https://www.heart.org/en/professional/quality-improvement/get-with-the-guidelines/get-with-the-guidelines-stroke

 

  • The American Stroke Association (a Division of the American Heart Association):

             https://www.stroke.org/en/about-the-american-stroke-association

             https://www.stroke.org/en/about-the-american-stroke-association/stroke-awareness-month

 

  • The National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke:

             https://www.ninds.nih.gov/news-events/directors-messages/all-directors-messages/may-stroke-awareness-month-1

 

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

             https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/index.htm