Many of us don’t know the warning signs of stroke. Luckily, there’s a quick and easy way to remember the signs of stroke and that is by remembering the word F.A.S.T.:
1. FACE: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face drop?
2. ARMS: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
3. SPEECH: Ask the person to repeat a simple phrase. Is their speech slurred or strange?
4. TIME: If you observe any of these signs, call 9-1-1 immediately.
The African-American community sees its fair share of health disparities and the high incidence of stroke is no exception. Here are a few facts about blacks and strokes:
• African-Americans are 2-3 times more likely to suffer from a stroke than any other group.
• We are more prone to having a lot of the risk factors associated with stroke: (obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, vascular disease, and heart disease); all of which are more common and are in very high numbers in our community.
• We are also 2-3 times more likely to die from our strokes than other groups.
• Black men are particularly affected and have the highest death rates.
Read more at BlackAmericaWeb.com
