Importance of Stroke Awareness, Recognizing the Signs and Symptoms: Brandon Giglio, MD

WATCH TIME: 4 minutes

“Each year, almost 800,000 Americans have a stroke and even more surprisingly, about 1 in 4 of those patients are people who have had a stroke previously. This fact is what always alarms me because it's saying that we're failing to properly educate, both the patients and providers, about what's the best course of action to reduce their risk of future strokes.”

As May is Stroke Awareness Month, clinicians in the stroke field stress the importance of knowing the signs and symptoms as well as the risks of the condition. In 2020, the stroke mortality ratio was 1 in 21 deaths and the average stroke death was every 3 minutes and 17 seconds in the US.1 Stroke experts have recommended that clinicians and patients familiarize themselves with the common warning signs and symptoms of stroke using the BE-FAST acronym.

Clinical institutions are also emphasizing the value of learning about family medical history for stroke, specifically for women and African Americans who are more at risk of mortality and disability from a stroke. Some of the key health factors and behaviors that reduce risks for stroke include not smoking, regular physical activity, a healthy diet, a healthy body weight, and healthy levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugar.1

Recently, Brandon Giglio, MD, director of vascular neurology at NYU Langone Hospital in Brooklyn, sat down with NeurologyLive® in an interview to discuss stroke warning signs and prevention. He talked about the "BE-FAST” acronym and what each letter represents in terms of stroke symptoms to recognize. Giglio also talked about the importance of stroke awareness for both clinicians and patients in the stroke community. In addition, he spoke about the key aspects of poststroke care, including rehabilitation therapies.

REFERENCES
1. New York State Department of Health Recognizes National Stroke Awareness Month in May. News Release. New York State Department of Health. Published May 17, 2023. Accessed May 19, 2023. https://www.health.ny.gov/press/releases/2023/2023-05-17_stroke_awareness_month.htm#:~:text=New%20York%20State%20Department%20of%20Health%20Recognizes%20National%20Stroke%20Awareness%20Month%20in%20May,-New%20Report%20%3A%20Disparities