EducationNews.org

An Interview with Joelle Reizes: About Stroke Prevention

Michael F. Shaughnessy - 11.21.09
Senior Columnist EducationNews.org
Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, New Mexico

1)      Joelle, as you may be aware, www.ednews.org attempts to help teachers and educators with the educational process and cover news items of interest. As we are concerned about all teachers and their health, what advice could you give teachers in terms of taking care of their health?

As we’ve heard recently, guidelines about screenings and preventive health care can be confusing and experts from a variety of venues can disagree. This can be very confusing. The best thing to do is to develop a relationship with a doctor you trust and talk to him or her about what is right for you, given your risk factors, lifestyle, overall general health, family history and personal interest in preventive health. 

The types of screenings Life Line Screening offers are typically best for those over age 50, or over age 40 if you have risk factors for cardiovascular disease.  Risk factors included high blood pressure, a family history of stroke or heart attack, diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and smoking.  The key is that the conditions for which we screen (as is the case for many diseases) are silent in the early stages to preventive strategies are key.

2)      Now I want to focus specifically on stroke. How many Americans does this affect each year?

Stroke is the third leading cause of death. It affects some 800,000 people a year.  Yet the good news is that 80% of strokes can be prevented.

3)      I know some of the signs of impending stroke----we want the person to Smile, Talk,( say a simple sentence) Reach ( their hands above their heads) and what else?

FAST – Face, Arms, Speech and Time, are the main watchwords.  This is important information for everyone to know.  Time is brain and it is critical that a person having a stroke get to a hospital, preferably a stroke center, as early as possible.

There is one note of caution though. Most strokes are not heralded by a mini-stroke, so the warning signs of a stroke are good to know but for most people if you are doing the “FAST” analysis, they are actually having a full-blown stroke. Only 15% of those people who have a stroke have a warning “mini-stroke” (Transient Ischemic Attack) beforehand. 

The best thing to do is to begin preventive strategies. Eat right, exercise, take medications as prescribed, and get screened.

4)      Are there any tests that the average teacher, say 40 or 50 years old should have to prevent a stroke?

We offer a complete stroke prevention package so please allow me to describe what those tests are.  The three main causes of stroke are carotid artery stenosis (blockages in the arteries of the neck that bring blood to the brain), atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rate), and high blood pressure. All of these can be screened for, using safe, non-invasive tests. There is no radiation either, and no pain. They are completely comfortable tests.

In addition, we provide two other vascular screenings.  One is a screening for Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD) which looks for blockages in the arteries of the legs, and a test for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms (AAA) which is a bulging of the large artery in the belly region.  Combining all of these screenings together provides a very comprehensive vascular screening package.  Tie it together with finger stick blood tests for cholesterol and glucose and you have a very detailed picture of your vascular health and risk factors.

We also offer a Disease Prevention Scorecard, which measures biometrics such as height, weight, BMI and waist circumference. This scorecard combines this information with screening information to create a detailed report that outlines your risk of certain chronic diseases over 5 years.

Ages 40 and 50 are perfect times to begin stroke screening. Your risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55.

5)      What is the relationship between smoking and stroke?

Smoking is a serious risk factor for stroke. The chemicals in cigarettes damage the inside of the arteries and lead to the build up of fatty plaque. This fatty plaque build up is called “atherosclerosis” and is the underlying cause of stroke. The artery becomes hardened and narrowed, which can block off blood flow altogether or cause a piece of the plaque to break off and travel to small artery in the brain, causing a stroke.

There is a great article on our website that covers this:  http://www.lifelinescreening.com/healthupdates/healthy_you/Pages/smokingarterial.aspx

6)      What is the relationship between high blood pressure and stroke?

High blood pressure is one of the leading causes of stroke.  Here is an article on our website that discusses what the numbers mean:  http://www.lifelinescreening.com/healthupdates/healthy_you/Pages/Know-What-Your-Numbers-Mean.aspx

Here is another one of interest:  http://www.lifelinescreening.com/healthupdates/healthy_you/Pages/StrokeRiskFactor.aspx

The key here is that high blood pressure injures the inside of the arteries, which can increase the likelihood that plaque develops there.  It canalso cause such pressure inside the artery that the artery actually bursts open, causing a hemorrhagic stroke.   Here is a section of the NSA website that is helpful as well:  http://www.stroke.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HighBloodPressure

7)      Are there different kinds of stroke?

There are two general categories of stroke – ischemic and hemorrhagic.  Ischemic stroke occurs when arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the eventual build-up of fatty plaque which narrows the artery and can close it off completely.  Most strokes (about 87%) are ischemic.

Hemorrhagic strokes are when a blood vessel breaks. This leaks blood into and the brain, killing brain cells.

According to the National Stroke Association (Stroke 101 Fact Sheet), two million brain cells die every minute during a stroke.

 8)      Is a stroke a type of brain trauma or transient ischemic attack?

A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is a mini-stroke. It involves stroke symptoms such as weakness on one side, difficulty speaking, etc, but these symptoms come and go.  This is a warning sign that a full-blown stroke is on the way and should be considered and urgent health situation.  About 15% of strokes are preceded by a TIA.

9)      Tell us a bit about your screening procedures and how they attempt to screen for stroke ( and other things)

All screenings are painless, noninvasive and involve no radiation. We believe in providing access to these tests in comfortable, familiar places such as churches, town halls, and community centers.  I’m attaching a backgrounder that outlines all the tests.

Once you make an appointment with us, you will arrive at the screening at the time and date of your appointment. You will be greeted, asked to fill out a small amount of paperwork and then asked to wait for your name to be called. We will then take you through the screening process, which is done as efficiently as possible.  You will receive your results within 21 days, after they have been reviewed by one of our Board Certified physicians.  If we see something urgent, we will tell you so at the time of the screening and give you information to take to your doctor immediately.

To make an appointment, call us, 1-800-697-9721.  Or, go online at www.lifelinescreening.com.

10)   Do you have a web site where teachers, counselors, principals and parents can get more information?

www.lifelinescreening.com