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Facts About Stroke:

  • Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and kills over 160,000 Americans each year.

  • Stroke is also a leading cause of serious long–term disability in adults, and the leading reason for people to be admitted to nursing homes.

  • About 700,000 strokes occur in the United States each year, mostly in people who have never had a stroke before.

  • Strokes can occur at any age. Nearly one-quarter of strokes are in people under age 65. The risk of having a stroke more than doubles for every decade of life after the age of 55.

  • Stroke death rates are higher for African Americans than for whites, even at younger ages. Sickle cell patients are at higher risk for stroke and its debilitative outcomes.

  • According to the American Heart Association, stroke cost almost $57 billion in both direct and indirect costs in 2005.

  • If given in the first few hours after a stroke begins, a treatment called tPA can help decrease the long-term effects of stroke in many people who suffer the most common kind of stroke. But many people who could benefit from tPA never receive it.