When it comes to strokes, every second counts. Mayo Clinic experts explain how to recognize the signs of a stroke and how to reduce stroke risk. 

Despite advances over the past 15 years to treat and prevent strokes, global statistics show that 1 in 4 adults over age 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime. More than 12 million people worldwide will have their first stroke this year, and 6.5 million people will die as a result, according to the World Stroke Organization. In the U.S., stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability, according to the American Stroke Association. 

Stroke has two main causes. The most common, ischemic stroke, occurs when a blood vessel that carries blood to the brain is blocked. About 87% of strokes are ischemic. The other 13% of strokes are caused by blood leaking into the brain or the bursting of an artery leading to the brain. These are hemorrhagic strokes. 

Signs a person may be having a stroke include sudden trouble with balance or coordination; blurred or double vision; facial drooping on one side; inability to raise both arms without one or both falling; and slurred speech or difficulty in speaking. With one or more of these symptoms, experts say call 911 or your emergency phone line immediately. 

A study published earlier this year in Stroke, an American Heart Association journal, found that, among a group of people hospitalized for various reasons, those who experienced a flu-like illness within a month of their hospitalization were 38% more likely to have a stroke, compared to those who didn’t have a similar illness. Receiving a flu shot within the year before hospitalization lowered a person’s stroke risk to 11%. 

People over 50 who were hospitalized and those in nursing homes who were at high risk for influenza had lower rates of death, heart attack, mini-stroke and cardiac arrest if they were vaccinated against flu, according to a study presented at the American Heart Association’s Basic Cardiovascular Sciences 2020 meeting. 

Mayo Clinic release