THURSDAY, May 23, 2002 (HealthDayNews) -- Nearly half of all people who die of a stroke die before they are taken to a hospital, prompting the government to once again urge people to recognize the symptoms of the nation's third leading cause of death.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in a report issued today that one in four stroke-related deaths in people under age 65 also happened in an emergency room or before the victims were taken there.
The figures lead the CDC to suspect that younger stroke victims "might dismiss stroke as a problem of the elderly and therefore delay their response to symptoms," the report says.
People can save their lives and those of their loved ones by "recognizing stroke symptoms and seeking prompt treatment," said Dr. Janet Crost, a heart disease and stroke expert in the CDC's cardiovascular health program.
In 1999, brain attacks took 167,364 lives in the United States. According to the report, 47.6 percent of those deaths happened outside a hospital setting. Stroke was most lethal to the elderly: 40.1 percent of all deaths occurred in people 85 or older, and 34.3 percent were among people between 75 and 84 years of age.
Knowing a stroke when you feel one or witness one has become especially critical since the advent of clot-busting drugs that can treat it effectively. The drugs must be administered within the first few hours to do the job.
The major warning signs are a sudden numbness or weakness, loss of vision or dimness, dizziness or a loss of balance, confusion or difficulty speaking, and/or what Crost said was "the worst headache [you've] ever had." If you or a loved one have any of these symptoms, she said, "Dial 911 as soon as possible."
The report says that South Carolina, Tennessee, Arkansas, and North Carolina -- states in what's called the "Stroke Belt" -- had the highest death rates, although Oregon's rate was also in the top five. The states with the lowest death rates included New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey.
Learn more about strokes from the CDC or the National Stroke Association.
