Stroke Care at Its Best

In the United States, stroke is the third-leading cause of death and a leading cause of adult disability; only heart disease and cancer cause more deaths annually. Every year about 700,000 Americans experience a stroke; about 160,000 of these people die.

The good news is that many fewer Americans now die of strokes than was the case 20 or 30 years ago. Improvement in the control of major risk factors — smoking, high blood pressure and high cholesterol — is likely responsible for the decline.

Current State of Stroke Care in Central New York

History of STROKE

• Overall NYS Age Adjusted Stroke Mortality rate is 38.4 per 100,000
  (2000-2002)
• Onondaga County's Age Adjusted Stroke Mortality rate is 55.5 per 100,000 people, the second highest rate in New York State
  (2000-2003/SPARCS DATA)
• In 2004, CNY experienced approximately 1,000 hospital admissions for stroke, with about 700 from Onondaga County alone

Facts about stroke

• A stroke occurs when something happens to interrupt the steady flow of blood to the brain, like a clot or a burst in a blood vessel. Brain cells quickly begin to die.
• You Can Beat a Stroke Disabilities can be prevented or limited, but the patient must go to the emergency room immediately.