Stroke Communications Kit

With the support of public health and health care professionals like you, the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) is better able to educate the public about the basics of stroke.

These selected messages and tools include information about stroke signs and symptoms, the importance of a F.A.S.T. response during a stroke, and stroke treatment.

Help DHDSP spread stroke awareness by sharing the tools found on these webpages. Non-Hispanic Blacks have the highest rates of stroke mortality in the United States.1 We urge our partners in public health and health care to help DHDSP close the disparities gap.

You can share resources from “Live to the Beat” with patients, friends, and family. Help your communities learn to control blood pressure and manage cholesterol and blood glucose levels. Moving more, eating healthier, managing stress, and actively engaging with health care teams can all help prevent stroke in the long run.

How Do I Use This Toolkit?

Stroke Resources for Individuals and Patients

  • Pulse Check: Live to the Beat
    Learn how patients and individuals can manage their conditions, move more, eat healthier, stress less, and work with their health care team to help reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD), heart disease, and stroke.
  • Women and Stroke
    Women have unique risk factors for stroke. Here is what they can do to reduce their risk.
  • Men and Stroke
    Share what puts men at risk for stroke and what steps they can take to prevent stroke.
  • Pregnancy and Stroke: Are You at Risk?
    This webpage discusses the connection between pregnancy and stroke and what you can do to keep yourself and your baby healthy.

Stroke Quiz

Stroke quiz

Can You Spot the Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke?
Share this quiz to test whether your audiences can recognize stroke signs and symptoms.

Spread the Word

Share  these social media messages with your followers. Don’t forget to tag @CDCHeart_Stroke in your posts and follow us on social media.

Don’t delay; call 9-1-1 right away if you spot the signs of stroke in yourself or someone else. Here are the 5 symptoms to look for. https://bit.ly/3LdeIQV

Not all women are equally affected by stroke; Black women are more likely to have a stroke than any other racial or ethnic group of women in the U.S. Try these lifestyle changes to lower your risk. https://bit.ly/3HlUymC

Do you know the signs and symptoms of stroke? F.A.S.T. is an easy acronym to help you remember them—and perhaps save a life. https://bit.ly/3LdeIQV

Every minute counts when a stroke happens. Calling 9-1-1 right away can help you or a loved one get the lifesaving treatment needed to reduce the risk of death and serious disability from stroke. Learn more. https://bit.ly/3LjXTnk

Time lost is brain lost. Getting treatment fast can reduce stroke-related brain damage and increase the chances of survival and recovery. Treatments are most effective when stroke is recognized and diagnosed within 3 hours. Learn more. https://bit.ly/3LjXTnk

Stroke is a leading cause of death and serious disability nationwide and around the world—but it doesn’t have to be. Learn how you can prevent and treat stroke with tools from CDC. https://bit.ly/41NJSp9

From the first symptoms of stroke to recovery at home, here’s how the CDC Coverdell Program connects health care professionals across the system of care to save lives and improve care. https://bit.ly/3LAQrpm

Heart attacks and strokes are still happening. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are leading causes of death in the United States. Seek emergency care for heart attack or stroke symptoms. This PSA from Million Hearts and the CDC Foundation explains more. https://bit.ly/3Hib1IE

Don’t delay! Call 9-1-1 right away if you spot the signs of #stroke in yourself or someone else. @CDCHeart_Stroke shares the 5 symptoms to look for. https://bit.ly/3LaAuVo

Not all women are equally affected by #stroke; Black women are more likely to die from a stroke than any other racial or ethnic group of women in the U.S. Try these lifestyle changes to lower your risk. https://bit.ly/3LD8evW

Recognizing the signs and symptoms of a #stroke F.A.S.T. can help save lives. Here’s how. https://bit.ly/3nkGhzE

Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a #stroke. Learn how you can prevent a stroke or lower your risk of having one with tips from @CDCHeart_Stroke. https://bit.ly/3oSydH3

Learn how the @CDCHeart_Stroke Coverdell Program works to improve access and care for #stroke patients nationwide. https://bit.ly/40OZya6

Heart attacks and strokes still happen during the COVID-19 pandemic. This PSA from @MillionHeartsUS and the @CDCFound explains why you should seek emergency care if you experience symptoms. https://bit.ly/3LB34AO

Every minute counts when a stroke happens. Calling 9-1-1 right away can help you or a loved one get the lifesaving treatment needed to reduce the risk of brain damage. Learn more.

Do you know the signs of #stroke? Common symptoms can include dizziness, vision trouble, and severe headache. If a stroke happens, act F.A.S.T. and call 9-1-1 right away.

Raise Awareness for These Health Observances

Health Observances
Observance Date Hashtag
National Stroke Awareness Month May 2023 #StrokeMonth
National EMS Week May 21–27, 2023 #EMSWeek
World Stroke Day October 29, 2023 #WorldStrokeDay

Stroke Graphics in English and Spanish

Share these stroke graphics on your social media accounts.

F.A.S.T.

Learn the signs of stroke. Face. Arms. Speech. Time to call 911.
Time lost is brain lost. Every minute counts during a stroke. Call 9-1-1 right away.
Acting F.A.S.T. is key to stroke survival.
Acting F.A.S.T. is key to stroke survival.
La guía de acción F.A.S.T. (RÁPIDO) es clave para sobrevivir al accidente cerebrovascular. F-Face (cara): ¿Un lado de la cara está caído al sonreír? A-Arms (brazos): ¿Un brazo se desvía hacia abajo al levantar los dos brazos? S-Speech (habla): ¿El habla suena arrastrada o extraña al repetir una frase sencilla? T-Time (tiempo): Si observa alguno de estos signos, llame al 9-1-1 de inmediato.
Acting FAST is key to stroke survival. Recognize the signs. Don't ignore symptoms, even if they are brief and go away.

Women and Stroke

More than half of Black women have high blood pressure which is a risk factor for stroke.
A woman can have a stroke at any age.
Black women have unique risk factors for stroke.
1 in 5 women will have a stroke.

Stroke Signs and Symptoms

Signs of stroke in men and women.
Llame al 9-1-1 de inmediato si aparece alguno de estos signos de accidente cerebrovascular: Entumecimiento o debilidad de la cara, brazos o piernas; confusión o dificultad para hablar o comprender la comunicación oral; dificultad para ver de uno o ambos ojos; dificultad para caminar, mareos o problemas de equilibrio; dolor de cabeza intenso sin causa conocida.

Emergency Care

National Stroke Awareness Month
National Stroke Awareness Month

Stroke Prevention

Make healthy lifestyle choices to lower your risk of stroke.
Learn how CDC helps improve care and save lives.
Every 40 seconds someone in the US has a stroke.
Act early. Help prevent stroke with these behaviors. cdc.gov/stroke
Embrace your chill. Know, recognize, act.

Facts About Stroke

Know the facts. Stroke is a leading cause of disability in the U.S.

Coverdell Program

Supporting stroke systems of care.
Touching the lives of 1 million stroke patients.

Emergency Care

Call 911 at the first signs of stroke. Don't delay going to the hospital; have someone drive you; call a taxi or rideshare
1 in 3 patients never calls 911. If stroke occurs, act F.A.S.T and call 911 right away.

Boost Your Network: Connect With Us

Connect with other health care professionals and share the latest in cardiovascular health from the Million Hearts® LinkedIn page.

Follow @CDCHeart_Stroke and @MillionHeartsUS on Twitter to share our stroke tweets directly on your pages.

Share stroke posts and resources directly from Million Hearts® on Facebook.

More Stroke Resources for Health Professionals

Reference

  1. National Center for Health Statistics. Multiple Cause of Death 2018–2021 on CDC WONDER Database. Accessed February 2, 2023.