Stroke: Knowing the symptoms and getting quick treatment can save a life.

The Centers for Disease Control report that someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every four minutes, someone dies of stroke. Stroke kills about 140,000 Americans each year – that’s one out of every 20 deaths.

Stroke is on the rise in young adults.

Taking control of your health is important no matter what your age. Stroke is no longer just the concern of older adults. 

“We’re seeing an increase in the number of younger people having strokes,” says Jayashree Sundararajan, MD, a neurologist in the Cerebrovascular Center at Cleveland Clinic Fairview Hospital and main campus. “An estimated 10% of strokes occur in people under age 50, with arterial dissection (or a small tear in an artery wall), illicit drug use and clotting or inflammatory disorders accounting for the larger proportion of strokes in younger adults.”

What can you do to prevent stroke?

While there are some inherited factors that can lead to stroke, others are within your ability to change. In the U.S., 1 in 3 adults has at least one of these conditions or habits that are leading causes of stroke:

  • High blood pressure.
  • High cholesterol.
  • Smoking.
  • Obesity.
  • Diabetes.
Because these risk factors are modifiable, there are things you can do to prevent stroke. 

1. Know and modify your risk.

“Everyone should take an active role in having a healthy lifestyle. In younger adults, this can help prevent risk factors from occurring prematurely,” says Dr. Sundararajan. “And those with another known condition that increases your risk should follow up regularly with their physician.” 

There are things within your control to change. If you smoke, quit. If you are overweight, modify your diet and exercise habits. 

Cleveland Clinic’s stroke risk calculator can help you assess your risk of stroke. 

2. Learn stroke symptoms and warning signs.

A simple way to remember the warning signs of stoke is to use a simple acronym: BE FAST

In younger people, severe onset of a headache can also be a warning sign, specifically for hemorrhagic strokes or bleeding in the brain.

3. Act quickly if symptoms appear.

“Time to treatment matters a lot – it can mean the difference between a person being able to walk and go home versus needing full-time nursing care, so don’t wait to get help if you experience any of these symptoms,” advises Dr. Sundararajan. 

There is much that can be done in the first hours after identifying a stroke to help improve blood flow to the brain and impact recovery. About 2 million brain cells can be lost every minute the brain goes without blood flow. 

“It truly is a situation where every minute counts,” says Dr. Sundararajan.

Cleveland Clinic’s stroke system offers high quality care across Northeast Ohio.

Cleveland Clinic cares for one of the largest populations of stroke patients in the country, with more than 6,800 encounters annually. These volumes have allowed us to build one of the best-developed stroke systems of care in the U.S. 

“The Comprehensive Stroke Center on Cleveland Clinic’s main campus serves as the hub in an integrated stroke care network,” explains Dr. Sundararajan. “This is the highest level of stroke certification provided by the Joint Commission, earned only by an elite group of hospitals across the U.S. for providing state-of-the-art, leading-edge care for the most complex stroke cases.”

Cleveland Clinic health system also boasts an additional three Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centers, seven Primary Stroke Centers and two regional hospitals capable of initiating acute stroke treatment.

What does this mean in your community?

In order to meet the requirements for Joint Commission accreditation as Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Centers, Akron General, Fairview and Hillcrest hospitals had to show demonstrated capabilities including the ability to care for patients exhibiting disabling stroke symptoms, not transferring stroke patients to other facilities, and monitoring outcomes of care provided.

The facilities have an acute stroke team available 24/7, a neurologist accessible 24/7 in person or via telemedicine, designated stroke beds, sufficient diagnostic services, and the ability to provide IV thrombolytics, and track, monitor and report performance measures.

They have proven they are able to perform services, perform them reliably, and have the processes in place to take care of all stroke symptoms, including those with large blood clots in the brain which might benefit from a process to remove the clot.

All of our emergency departments can treat stroke patients with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA / alteplase) – an FDA-approved medication to treat ischemic stroke which is administered through a vein. Called a “clot-busting” medication, tPA is administered to ischemic stroke patients who meet eligibility criteria and arrive at the hospital within 0-4.5 hours of stroke symptom onset.

Akron General, Fairview and Hillcrest hospitals offer a second type of treatment for stroke:

  • Mechanical thrombectomy – a minimally invasive clot retrieval method that involves inserting a very small catheter through an artery until the blocked blood vessel is reached, a small device retriever is deployed, the clot is captured and removed, and blood flow is restored to the brain.

Access to advanced care when you need it.

Nearly 1 in 4 strokes occur in people who have had a previous stroke. Advanced care, including carotid stenting procedures, is available to these individuals at Cleveland Clinic’s Comprehensive Stroke Center.

What’s the bottom line?

“When it comes to stroke, knowing the risk factors and warning signs is key,” says Dr. Sundararajan.

If a person shows any stroke symptoms, even if symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately. 

Remember, Cleveland Clinic offers the highest quality stroke care near you at Avon and Fairview hospitals and main campus.

For your safety and convenience, Cleveland Clinic stroke specialists offer in-person and virtual appointments for those who have experienced a stroke and need follow-up care. To schedule an appointment with a stroke specialist, call 216.636.5860 or toll free 866.588.2264.

Download our Stroke Treatment Guide
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Learn More about Cleveland Clinic Stroke Centers