How would you like to decrease your risk of stroke more than twofold?
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends consuming only 1,500 milligrams of sodium each day, yet the average American consumes more than 4,000 mg of sodium per day. That is nearly 2 teaspoons of salt.
Researchers who published a study in the journal Stroke in April followed more than 2,600 participants over a 10-year period reviewing their health, including any hospitalizations, medication changes or changes in stroke risk factors, such as smoking. Only 12 percent of the participants were meeting the AHA recommendation of less than 1,500 mg of sodium per day. Read the rest of this entry »
“Heart disease takes the lives of far too many people in this country, depriving their families and communities of someone they love and care for—a father, a mother, a wife, a friend, a neighbor, a spouse. With more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes a year, and 800,000 deaths, just about all of us have been touched by someone who has had heart disease, heart attack, or a stroke.”
- Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cardiovascular or heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, which equals 2,200 deaths per day. Read the rest of this entry »
The first pipeline stent procedure, which offers an alternative to open brain surgery for patients with large aneurysms, in the region was performed in December at Memorial Medical Center.
Augusto Elias, DDS, MD, a neurointerventional radiologist with Clinical Radiologists, S.C., who leads the neurointerventional team in Memorial Medical Center’s Stroke Center, performed the minimally invasive procedure, known as a pipeline stent. Dr. Elias is one of only 10 physicians in Illinois who is trained to perform this procedure. Read the rest of this entry »
Memorial Medical Center's Neurointerventional Radiology Suite
When a loved one suffers from a stroke, you know every second counts. The work of a neurointerventional radiologist could save time and lessen the chances of permanent brain damage.
Neurointerventional radiology uses minimally invasive technologies – microcatheters, balloons and stents – to diagnose and treat strokes as well as aneurysms, blood clots and tumors.
The most common type of stroke, known as an ischemic stroke, occurs because a blood clot becomes lodged in a blood vessel supplying blood to the brain. This is the type of stroke that U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois suffered in January.
One way to treat these strokes is through the use of a clot-busting drug. But this drug takes time to be effective. The larger the clot, the longer the time for the drug to take effect. Read the rest of this entry »
U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk’s ischemic stroke, which affected the right side of his brain on Saturday, has brought a lot of attention to this serious affliction that strikes nearly 800,000 people each year.
Ischemic strokes occur when blood vessels to the brain become narrowed or clogged, preventing or slowing blood flow to the brain. The left side of the brain controls the right side of the body and vice-versa. Therefore, a stroke to the right side of the brain can cause deficits – weakness or paralysis on the left side of the body, as appears to be the case for Sen. Kirk.
Do you know the signs and symptoms of stroke? Spotting a stroke is the first step toward stopping it.
FAST — the Face, Arm and Speech Test — is an easy way toquickly identify the early warning signs of a stroke. If you identify problems while giving this simple test, call 911 and seek medical help immediately. The time you save could save your life or the life of someone you love. Read the rest of this entry »
Marc, our third and final top 3 ER story submitter out of over 85 submissions, has endured many trials in his life. We won’t spoil them here, but believe us when we say that you’re going to want to hear his story.
To read his original entry, please click here. His video is below.
May is National Stroke Awareness Month and an opportunity for us to celebrate a graduate of Memorial’s inpatient stroke rehab program – Virgil Davis.
Scattered throughout his Springfield home and cabin in Pike County is handmade evidence that 73-year-old Davis has come a long way since suffering a severe stroke in 2003. Whistles made out of sticks or deer antlers, toilet paper dispensers that resemble fishing pole reels, Fighting Illini key chains, wine bottle holders — the only limit to what Davis can create is his imagination.
How would you like to decrease your risk of stroke more than twofold?
