World Stroke Day 2011

World Stroke Day is October 29. The 2011 World Stroke Day campaign is continuing the theme set last year asking people to commit to 6 ways to reduce their likelihood of having a stroke.

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. About 137,000 Americans die of stroke every year¹. The theme for this year's World Stroke Day builds on last year’s theme "1 in 6:" 1 in 6 people worldwide will have a stroke in their lifetime; every 6 seconds, someone somewhere will die from stroke².

This campaign not only stresses how prevalent stroke is but also highlights the fact that stroke can be prevented and that stroke survivors can recover and regain their quality of life with care and support.

The campaign is asking people to commit to 6 ways to reduce their likelihood of having a stroke.

1. Know one's personal risk factors, including diagnosed high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol.
2. Be physically active and exercise regularly.
3. Eat a healthy diet that includes  lots of fresh fruits and vegetables and is low in sodium.
4. Limit alcohol consumption.
5. Avoid cigarette smoke. People who smoke should seek help to stop now.
6. Learn to recognize the warning signs of a stroke and call 9-1-1 right away if someone is suspected of having a stroke.

World Stroke Day brings together advocacy groups, patient survivor support networks, volunteer stroke societies, public health authorities, physicians, nurses and others within the allied health professions including civil society at-large, for a collaborative approach to comprehensive stroke education, advocacy, prevention, treatment and long-term care and support for stroke survivors.

Million Hearts™, a national HHS initiative to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes over the next five years, is happy to join in the request to ask people to commit to six ways to reduce their likelihood of having a stroke. Be one in Million Hearts™ and share your commitment to preventing one million heart attacks and strokes in the next five years by signing on at http://millionhearts.hhs.gov/.

CDC is dedicated to the prevention and reduction of heart attacks and strokes through local and state-based programs, the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry, and through many other partnerships and programs.

References

1. Heron MP, Hoyert DL, Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD, Tejada-Vera B. Deaths: Final data for 2006 [PDF - 5.3 MB] National Vital Statistics Reports 2009;57(14):1–15.
2. World Stroke Campaign