Stroke facts from the American Stroke Association

STROKE INCIDENCE, MORTALITY, AND DISABILITY

• About 800,000 (approximately 795,000) people in the United States have a stroke every year, with about 3 in 4 being first-time strokes.
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• In the U.S., about as many people have a stroke each year (795,000) as a heart attack (790,000).

• Someone in the United States has a stroke every 40 seconds. Every 3 minutes 42 seconds, someone dies of a stroke.

• Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death in the United States, killing more than 140,000 people a year (approximately 142,000). That’s 1 in every 19 deaths.

• Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and the leading preventable cause of disability. Stroke, or vascular dementia, is also a leading cause of memory loss.

Signs of Stroke in Men and Women

• Sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking, or difficulty understanding speech
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or lack of coordination
• Sudden severe headache with no known cause