Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability and the third-leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that 795,000 strokes occur each year in the United States. This number is projected to increase 40% by the year 2025.
Contrary to accepted wisdom, improvement in physical activity for stroke patients does not peak 11 weeks after being discharged from the hospital. Data has been presented that a detailed exercise program continues to improve fitness, walking, insulin sensitivity, and glucose metabolism in what has been described as the chronic phase of stroke treatment.
The benefits of treadmill training in stroke patients with long-term mobility impairment significantly improved velocity and cardiovascular fitness. Exercise-mediated improvements in walking velociyt correlated with increased activation in the cerebellum and midbrain, the areas of the brain that are associated with motor activity. Higher intensity levels of exercise produce better outcomes.
Stroke Alert is the combined efforts of health care providers, local organizations and volunteers to reduce the impact of stroke in their community by concentrating their efforts onto a single day in order to saturate the community with one simple message. In Santa Clara County American Medical Response, Cal Star, American Heart Association, Emergency Medical Services and eight hospitals collaborated to placed a full page color ad in the San Jose Mercury News with the warning signs of stroke. Many of these agencies/hospitals are holding stroke screening, health fairs and free stroke education seminars. Please visit www.sanjosemercurynews to view times and dates.