Time is the best tool for someone having a stroke. Although a stroke, or interruption in the flow of blood to the brain, happens every 40 seconds in the United States, new interventions can markedly reduce the size of a stroke up to 24 hours after it occurs.

“Stroke remains a leading cause of serious, long-term disability responsible for loss of a wide range of neurologic function such as walking, talking and seeing,” says Dr. David Tinklepaugh, medical director of stroke at Backus Hospital. “While, unfortunately, strokes will continue to occur, there is good news here as well.”

This, he explains, is the news that two recent studies identified an intervention called endovascular thrombectomy as a way to reduce the size, and therefore impact, of a stroke for a full 24 hours after a patient experiences one.

“Many strokes occur because a clot travels up a blood vessel feeding the brain and becomes lodged in the vessel, stopping blood flow. The result is often a devastatingly large stroke,” says Dr. Tinklepaugh. “Now, with the state-of-the-art imaging software, patients with this type of stroke can be identified and a specialist can remove the clot. Once blood flow is restored, the extent of stroke damage can be radically reduced.”

Backus Earns Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers (click here).

Even better than a fast response to stroke, which will cause more than 133,000 deaths this year in the United States, is heading one off in the first place, he adds. The American Stroke Association reports that 80 percent of strokes are preventable by addressing risk factors, especially high blood pressure. People who do not have high blood pressure at age 50 live an average of five years longer than those who do.

“Check with your doctor. If you have high blood pressure, ask if treatment is appropriate for you,” Dr. Tinklepaugh says. “Learn common signs of stroke such as facial droop, arm weakness and slurred speech. Don’t hesitate, call 911 immediately. There is more help than ever available to help people having a stroke, but they must get to the emergency room as soon as possible.”

To find out about services available for stroke patients at Backus Hospital, which recently earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Heart-Check mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers, click here.