Skip Navigation LinksSkip Navigation Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Safer Healthier People
Blue White
Blue White
bottom curve
CDC Home Search Health Topics A-Z spacer spacer
spacer
Blue curve MMWR spacer
spacer
spacer

Persons using assistive technology might not be able to fully access information in this file. For assistance, please send e-mail to: mmwrq@cdc.gov. Type 508 Accommodation and the title of the report in the subject line of e-mail.

National Stroke Awareness Month --- May 2006

May is National Stroke Awareness Month. During 2006, an estimated 700,000 persons in the United States will have a stroke; of these, approximately 158,000 (22.5%) will die from stroke (1). Of the approximately 5 million U.S. stroke survivors, 15%--30% are permanently disabled (1).

Preventing and controlling stroke risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure and cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and diabetes) are the most important steps in reducing a person's risk for having a stroke. Recognizing the warning signs of stroke and immediately calling for emergency medical care are the critical first steps in reducing the risk for death and disability among persons who are having a stroke. The warning signs of stroke are 1) sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body; 2) sudden confusion or trouble speaking or understanding; 3) sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes; 4) sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance or coordination; and 5) sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

CDC supports programs in 32 states and the District of Columbia that emphasize multiple strategies for targeting stroke and its risk factors in various settings and for ensuring that patients receive quality care. CDC also supports stroke-care registries in several states designed to monitor and enhance the quality of care for stroke patients. Additional information about state programs and the national stroke registry is available at http://www.cdc.gov/cvh. Information about stroke prevention and care is available at http://www.strokeassociation.org, http://www.stroke.org, and http://www.ninds.nih.gov.

Reference

  1. American Heart Association. Heart disease and stroke statistics---2006 update. Dallas, TX: American Heart Association; 2006. Available at http://www.americanheart.org.

Use of trade names and commercial sources is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.


References to non-CDC sites on the Internet are provided as a service to MMWR readers and do not constitute or imply endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. CDC is not responsible for the content of pages found at these sites. URL addresses listed in MMWR were current as of the date of publication.

Disclaimer   All MMWR HTML versions of articles are electronic conversions from ASCII text into HTML. This conversion may have resulted in character translation or format errors in the HTML version. Users should not rely on this HTML document, but are referred to the electronic PDF version and/or the original MMWR paper copy for the official text, figures, and tables. An original paper copy of this issue can be obtained from the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), Washington, DC 20402-9371; telephone: (202) 512-1800. Contact GPO for current prices.

**Questions or messages regarding errors in formatting should be addressed to mmwrq@cdc.gov.

Date last reviewed: 5/17/2006

HOME  |  ABOUT MMWR  |  MMWR SEARCH  |  DOWNLOADS  |  RSSCONTACT
POLICY  |  DISCLAIMER  |  ACCESSIBILITY

Safer, Healthier People

Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Rd, MailStop E-90, Atlanta, GA 30333, U.S.A

USA.GovDHHS

Department of Health
and Human Services