FRIDAY, May 30, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and the leading cause of debilitation, but there's a big gap between Americans' understanding of stroke and their efforts to prevent it.
That's the claim of a recent survey by the National Council on the Aging.
The survey found that although many Americans know people who have had a stroke are at increased risk of suffering another one, stroke survivors don't take all the possible steps to protect their health.
A third of all strokes are recurrent ones. Lifestyle changes and medications can help reduce the risk of recurrent strokes.
The telephone survey of 992 people found that 88 percent of respondents said they knew that someone who has had a stroke has an increased risk of having another one.
However, the survey found that many stroke survivors were not exercising regularly (32 percent), quitting smoking (19 percent) or watching their diet (18 percent), even though these simple steps are known to prevent a future stroke.
Medications can also reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. For example, some stroke patients are put on medications that prevent clotting. That helps reduce the risk of stroke.
After surviving a stroke, men have a 42 percent chance of having another one within five years. Women stroke survivors have a 24 percent chance of recurrent stroke over the same time period.
The survey also found many respondents incorrectly identified excessive stress (87 percent), overexertion while exercising (56 percent), dehydration (38 percent), asthma attacks (24 percent) and wearing constrictive clothing (16 percent) as risk factors for stroke.
Many also mistakenly said shortness of breath (53 percent) and heart palpitations (50 percent) were symptoms of stroke. Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents couldn't identify the age range (age 65 and older) of those most affected by stroke.
More than 700,000 Americans suffer a stroke each year. That's one person every 45 seconds. About 168,000 Americans die from strokes each year.
More information
The National Council on Aging offers a stroke tip sheet.
