STROKE IS URGENTLow awareness puts women at risk of cutting their lives short

The Heart and Stroke Foundation’s 2011 Stroke Report warns that stroke awareness is dangerously low, especially among women from Canada’s largest visible minorities.

Heart and Stroke FoundationStroke report, June 2011

heart and stroke foundation 2011 stroke report

STROKE IS URGENT

T he heart and stroke foundation’s 2011 stroke Month report warns that awareness

levels of stroke warning signs and stroke prevention is dangerously low, especially among women from Canada’s two largest visible minorities – people of Chinese and south asian descent.

“stroke is urgent. Canadians must be aware of the risk factors for stroke and need to react immediately when they experience the warning signs,” says heart and stroke foundation spokesperson, dr. frank silver. “the real tragedy is that 80 per cent of strokes are preventable, whether you’re a woman or a man.”

the foundation polling found that women are not aware that stroke and heart disease is their leading cause of death:

• for Canadian women overall, 53 per cent are unable to identify that stroke and heart disease are their leading cause of death –

and responsible for one in three deaths.1

• for women of Chinese and south asian origin, 84 per cent are unable to identify that stroke and heart disease are their

leading cause of death.2

awareness has improved steadily, thanks to the foundation’s The Heart Truth campaign, which

continues to inform and empower women to take

action to reduce their risks.3

Before The Heart Truth campaign started three years ago 68 per cent of women didn’t know stroke and heart disease was their leading cause of death.

“heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of death in women,” says heart and stroke foundation spokesperson, dr. frank silver. stroke affects women and men of all ages. More than 50,000 strokes occur in Canada every year – one every 10 minutes. about 300,000 Canadians live with the effects of stroke.

according to the heart and stroke foundation, more women than men die from stroke annually. in Canada, stroke kills 32 per cent more women than men.

a previous analysis of Canadian deaths shows that stroke death rates are highest among women of Chinese origin, intermediate among women of south asian origin, and lowest among women of european origin.

1 this poll was conducted by harris/decima via teleVox, the company’s national telephone omnibus. a total of 1,013 Canadian women were surveyed from March 31st to april 10th, 2011. results are accurate to within +/- 3.1% 19 times out of 20.

2 this poll was conducted by environics research Group. this telephone poll was conducted between March 16th to 31st, 2011. a total of 255 south asian and 245 Chinese women were surveyed. the findings can be considered accurate to within plus or minus 6.3%, 19 times out of 20.

3 this poll was conducted by harris/decima via teleVox, the company’s national telephone omnibus. a total of 1,023 Canadian women were surveyed from december 6th to 17th, 2007. results are accurate to within +/- 3.1% 19 times out of 20.

“the real tragedy is that 80 per cent

of strokes are preventable, whether

you’re a woman or a man.”

– dr. frank silver

www.heartandstroke.Ca �

Women need to be better stroke detectorswomen’s awareness of stroke warning signs is poor. the foundation poll found that only 53 per cent of south asian women were able to correctly identify at least two of the five warning signs – lower than the overall Canadian average for women of 62 per cent.

when asked to identify at least three warning signs, only a third of all women polled could do so.

“Canadian women need to be better stroke detectors,” says dr. silver. “we need to do all we can to build awareness of the warning signs and help women reduce their risk from death or disability from stroke.”

“knowing and reacting immediately to stroke warning signs is essential,” says dr. silver, who notes that there is a treatment for strokes caused by blood

*environics (March, 2011)** harris decima (March, 2011)

clots, the most common type of stroke. this treatment must be administered within the first few hours of warning signs to be effective.

“Canadians must react urgently to the warning signs by calling 9-1-1 or their local emergency number,” says dr. silver.

Heart&Stroke 2011 report: women’s low awareness of stroke symptoms and warning signs

Stroke WARNING SIGNSChinese Women*

South Asian Women*

All Canadian Women**

sudden loss of strength/numbness in face/arm/leg, even if temporary 48% �7% 50%

sudden difficulty speaking/understanding/confusion, even if temporary �0% 24% 42%

sudden loss of balance, especially with other signs 27% 27% �5%

sudden trouble with vision, even if temporary 18% 16% 28%

sudden severe/unusual headache 15% 9% 20%

don’t know/no answer 18% 22% 15%

WeaknessSudden loss of strength or sudden numbness in the face, arm or leg, even if temporary.

Trouble SpeakingSudden difficulty speaking or understanding or sudden confusion, even if temporary.

Vision ProblemsSudden trouble with vision, even if temporary.

HeadacheSudden severe and unusual headache.

DizzinessSudden loss of balance, especially with any of the above signs.

heart and stroke foundation 2011 stroke report

equally concerning, 23 per cent of all women could not name even one risk factor for stroke. only 29 per cent of Chinese women and 22 per cent of south asian women identified high blood pressure, which is in fact the leading risk factor for stroke.

women overall also had low awareness of stroke risk factors. for example, only 28 per cent recognized high blood pressure as a risk factor and only 20 per cent identified high cholesterol.

following a lower-sodium diet and controlling high blood pressure, being physically active and smoke-free can significantly reduce stroke risk.

“the very face of our communities is changing. heart disease and stroke are increasingly crossing

There was even lower awareness of the other risk factors of stroke (age, family history, gender, ethnicity, and personal history of stroke or TIA).

*environics (March, 2011)** harris decima (March, 2011)

age, gender, and ethnic lines,” says dr. silver. “it’s important that Canadians of all ethnic backgrounds be aware of how to prevent stroke.”

Heart&Stroke 2011 report: women’s low awareness of preventable stroke risk factors

Stroke RISK FACTORS Chinese Women* South Asian Women* All Canadian Women**

high blood pressure (hypertension) 29% 22% 28%

smoking 9% 9% 2�%

high cholesterol levels 24% 19% 20%

obesity 12% 12% 15%

stress 11% 25% 11%

physical inactivity 22% 15% 9%

heart disease 4% 5% 5%

diabetes 7% 8% 4%

excessive alcohol consumption 4% 6% 4%

don’t know/no answer 16% 20% 2�%

Women underestimate their risk factors when it comes to stroke

www.heartandstroke.Ca 5

the heart and stroke foundation launched two new free smartphone apps – My Heart&Stroke Health Check™ Recipe Helper and My Heart&Stroke Blood Pressure Action Plan – that will allow Canadians to make simple lifestyle changes, wherever they are.

“the digital age has created a new avenue for healthcare – and the foundation is embracing the

Two new smartphone apps will help Canadians lower their stroke risk

technology to support the health of Canadians,” says dr. Marco di Buono, spokesperson for the foundation.

“with a continued focus on reducing all risks, we can stop strokes from robbing us of valuable, quality years of life.”

heart and stroke foundation 2011 stroke report

My Heart&Stroke Health Check™ Recipe Helper appBy eating a diet that is lower in sodium, Canadians can prevent and control high blood pressure, the number one cause of stroke. the new Heart&Stroke Health Check Recipe Helper app provides Canadians with a quick and easy resource to help lower the amount of sodium (salt) in their diets. the app features dozens of heart-healthy, lower-sodium recipes that come with grocery lists, main ingredient searches and comprehensive nutrition information. Health Check is one way the foundation helps Canadians make healthy choices, based on Canada’s food Guide.

a 2007 heart and stroke foundation and Canadian stroke network study showed that reducing salt intake by half would eliminate high blood pressure in one million Canadians.

“our Health Check registered dietitians selected these recipes based on strict criteria for the amount of sodium and fat content,” says dr. di Buono. “Canadians can trust that the recipes are healthy.” the recipes include a variety of options for salad, soup, vegetarian, meat, poultry and seafood meals.

with the app, Canadians can create a grocery shopping list and rate their favourite recipes. it will be regularly updated with new recipes and features.

Health Check™ is one of the ways we’re helping Canadians eat well. Eating healthy every day can be a challenge. Heart&Stroke Health Check helps you choose foods in grocery stores and restaurants that can be part of a healthy diet. Learn more about Health Check at healthcheck.org

www.heartandstroke.Ca 7

My Heart&Stroke Blood Pressure Action Plan app“high blood pressure – which is the leading cause of stroke – affects six million Canadians, and is known as the silent killer because of its lack of symptoms,” says dr. silver. “the good news is that with proper diagno-sis and treatment of high blood pressure, you can cut your risk of stroke by up to 40 per cent.”

developed by foundation experts, the My Heart&Stroke Blood Pressure Action Plan app allows users to monitor and better manage their blood pressure. they will be able to assess their personal risk, track blood pressure readings over time, view graphs of blood pressure changes, share readings with their physicians, list their medications and set appointment reminders.

“the bottom line is that awareness of your risks, of the warning signs, and of prevention and treatment options, are your best defences against stroke,” says dr. di Buono.

The free Heart&Stroke apps – which are available in English and French –

can be downloaded at the Apple, Android and BlackBerry app stores.

Canadians can also go to www.heartandstroke.ca/mobileapps

the heart and stroke foundation is a committed leader in stroke research, health promotion and advocacy. the foundation works on many fronts to help all Canadians live longer, fuller lives:

The Heart Truth

the foundation’s The Heart Truth™ campaign educates women about identifying their risks and warning signs of heart disease and stroke. it provides women with the tools they need to take charge of their heart health: women can significantly reduce their risk — by as much as 80 per cent — by making simple lifestyle changes. thehearttruth.ca

A Canadian vision for stroke care the Canadian stroke strategy is a joint initiative of the heart and stroke foundation and the Canadian stroke network designed to support an integrated approach to stroke awareness, prevention, access to treatment, rehabilitation, and community reintegration in every province and territory. the Canadian stroke network fosters collaboration between more than 100 of Canada’s leading scientists and clinicians from 24 universities. this strategy is already saving countless lives, while also having remarkable influence on secondary stroke prevention and recovery.

Multicultural HSF resources Chinese is now the number three language in Canada – right after english and french. the new hsf poll found that over 80 per cent of Chinese and south asian women were interested in stroke and heart disease information geared to them; 81 per cent of Chinese women and 78 per cent of south asian women said it would be useful to have this information their languages. the heart and stroke foundation has health resources in Cantonese, Mandarin, hindi, punjabi, tamil, and urdu to meet this need. Go to heartandstroke.ca/multicultural for more information.

A quivering heartbeat away from stroke this year, the foundation put the focus on a risk factor for stroke: atrial fibrillation. this condition causes an irregular heartbeat and increases the risk for strokes caused by a blood clot – by three to five times. it is estimated that up to 15 per cent of all strokes are due to atrial fibrillation.

Spotlight on stroke research the research initiative Focus on Stroke encourages new researchers and health professionals to train in the field of stroke and supports newly established investigators. Celebrated as one of the country’s leading research partnerships, the heart and stroke foundation and the Canadian stroke network received the first-ever Cihr partnership award for this initiative in 2002.

Stroke knowledge saves lives recognizing stroke warning signs and getting immediate medical attention have a major impact on survival and recovery. the foundation recently launched its Stroke is Urgent awareness campaign to help Canadians recognize warning signs and how to react to this medical emergency.

The Heart and Stroke Foundation, a volunteer-based health charity, leads in eliminating heart disease and stroke and reducing their impact through the advancement of research and its application, the promotion of healthy living and advocacy. heartandstroke.ca

The Foundation is helping Canadians turn the tide on stroke