FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 18, 2003

Contact:
Judy Alexiou, Manager
Missouri Heart Disease and Stroke Program
800-316-0935

AFTER-HOURS
Andrew Shea, Public Information Specialist
314-605-4129

State Program Encourages Media to Link Celebrity's Stroke with Causes,
Signs of "Brain Attack"

Days after the stroke of Grammy-winning singer Luther Vandross, the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services' Heart Disease and Stroke Program (HDSP) encourages Missouri media to contact the program for more information about stroke prevention and recognition.

"Mr. Vandross suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes," says HDSP Manager Judy Alexiou. "We believe it is important to let the public know about the role diabetes and high blood pressure play in stroke."

Stroke, sometimes also called a "brain attack," is most commonly signaled by sudden muscle numbness or weakness - especially on one side of the body, sudden confusion or difficulty speaking, sudden trouble seeing, sudden trouble walking or loss of balance/coordination, and sudden severe headache with no known cause.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is interrupted and brain tissue is deprived of oxygen and nutrients. Within minutes, brain cells begin to die. A serious medical emergency, stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and the leading cause of adult disability.

Recognizing stroke early and seeking immediate medical attention are critically important in saving a life or preserving the quality of a person's life.

According to the American Stroke Association, there are several controllable factors that contribute to stroke, including overweight or obesity, cigarette smoking and physical inactivity. Having a pre-existing chronic condition - like diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease - also increases a person's risk for stroke.

This past February, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a national atlas of stroke mortality at a national conference of health officers in downtown St. Louis. Yesterday, Governor Bob Holden, with the American Stroke Association, proclaimed May as stroke awareness month in Missouri.