ABSTRACT
Stroke is the third leading cause of death in America and the leading cause of adult disability; it kills twice as many women each year as breast cancer1. We know that many strokes are preventable, yet the need for more education and better intervention remains critically high. A recent nationwide poll revealed that public awareness of the warning signs of stroke is alarmingly poor – 40% of adults do not know that stroke occurs in the brain and only 20% know that stroke can be prevented2. The public has an extremely limited view of what can be done to prevent stroke. Although high blood pressure is a leading risk factor for stroke, only 17% of people polled knew that lowering their blood pressure would reduce their risk of stroke. Furthermore, 70% of the public are not getting a clear stroke prevention message from their health care provider2.
