According to the American Heart Association, someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds and someone dies from one every four minutes. World Stroke Day is on October 29th and the American Heart Association wants to educate the public on recognizing the signs of stroke since it is the world’s second-leading cause of death and number five in this country. The American Heart Association released a few statistics:

• Projections show that by 2030, an additional 3.4 million people aged ≥ 18 years will have had a stroke, a 20.5 percent increase in prevalence from 2012. The highest increase (29%) is projected to be in Hispanic men.
• Spanish-speaking Hispanics are less likely to know all stroke symptoms than English-speaking Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks, and non-Hispanic whites. Lack of English proficiency is strongly associated with lack of stroke knowledge among Hispanics.
• During a stroke, slightly more than half of patients use emergency medical services to get to the hospital, with white women the most likely, and Hispanic men the least likely to use EMS transport.
• During a stroke, slightly more than half of patients use emergency medical services to get to the hospital with Hispanic men being the least likely to use emergency medical services transport, according to research published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Researchers analyzed medical records from nearly 400,000 stroke patients admitted to more than 1,600 hospitals participating in the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines®-Stroke program and found:

• About 55.5 percent of Hispanic women used emergency medical services
• The group least likely to use EMS was Hispanic men, at a little more than 52 percent

Fast treatment is critical during a stroke to restore blood flow to the brain and prevent tissue damage, and limit disability. Experts recommend calling 911 immediately upon noticing stroke symptoms. The symptoms of a stroke and the recommended action are easily remembered by the acronym F.A.S.T for: Face drooping; Arm weakness; Speech difficulty; Time to call 911.