The CDC estimates someone in the U.S. has a stroke every 40 seconds. Among people of color, African Americans have the highest rate.
KERA's Sam Baker spoke with Dr. Alla Al-Habib, a neurologist with Texas Health Plano says the reasons are public health-related.
Dr. Al-Habib: Black Americans are at higher risk and prevalence for hypertension, diabetes, obesity, socioeconomic status. So all these together put these people at higher risk for stroke as compared to the other races.
Baker: It's not genetics, it's not environmental factors or anything like that.
Dr. Al-Habib: No, a lot of it can be related to also higher prevalence of high blood pressure so these can be still genetic because they are at higher risk for it and also treatment resistant hypertension. So that's also another risk on why and the obesity and the diabetes and the environmental and the socioeconomic status too, which is, you know, it can affect their diet, their ability to get into health care.
Baker: Is the word not getting out enough to African Americans? Is it just a refusal to stop? What is it exactly?
Dr. Al-Habib: I think access to medical care is one of the major barriers, I would say, and other things can be the awareness of the problem, because usually strokes are painless, right? So when we don't exhibit pain, we don t think about, like, this is a major problem. And then the delay in the care means they don't go to the ER right away, then they are at risk for complications and permanent damage to the brain. Every minute that the patient, they don't show up to the ER, any one minute delay can kill two million neurons in the brain.
Baker: Stroke is really painless? You don't feel anything in the arm or anywhere in the body at the time it occurs?
Dr. Al-Habib: It exhibits itself with symptoms of, you know, either there's no blood supply going to that area or there is a hemorrhage or a bleed. And usually both conditions, they don't cause pain, but they cause disability, means people may have facial droop, loss of vision, inability to move their arms or legs, but usually these are painless or lack of sensation. That's another symptom.
Baker: Can you prevent stroke?
Dr. Al-Habib: Yes, it's very highly preventative. There are things that patients need to work on to ensure prevention because number one factor will be controlling the blood pressure. So, usually, blood pressure issues happens over years and most of the people don't know because again also hypertension is a silent condition means it doesn't necessarily cause any symptoms. Not usually headaches not usually anything until patients develop stroke or heart attack.
Baker: In terms of preventing stroke, is it too simplistic to say one effective approach would simply be going to the doctor regularly?
Dr. Al-Habib: I think so. I think monitoring, because blood pressure is one of the major things that we need to watch in this situation. So, seeing doctors regularly will ensure that we keep an eye on the blood pressure. Then managing diabetes means managing the numbers of high cholesterol, also. You know quitting smoking and if there is any need from the health care provider to provide some help and assistance on that also screening for other potential risks.
Baker: In other words, you can see the potential for a stroke ahead?
Dr. Al-Habib: Right. The risk factors usually happen years before the stroke happens. Same with the heart attack.
Also…
Dr. Al-Habib: I would like to encourage the audience to learn the BEFAST acronym because this is what they need to observe on any patient they suspect has a stroke or she has a stroke.
B stands for any balance issues or loss of coordination.
E is for eye, meaning double vision or sudden loss of vision.
F for face means any facial droop
A for arm or leg weakness
S for speech difficulties
T is time. If we want the patient to get the treatment to reverse their symptoms, they need to present to the E-R right away. Don't wait. Don't call their primary care doctors. Just call 911 and come.
RESOURCES:
Let's Talk About Black Americans and Stroke
Racial Disparities in Stroke Affecting Black Americans
Cerebrovascular Diseases (Stroke) and Black/African Americans
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