Luke Perry’s Premature Death Turns Spotlight on Early Stroke Detection

2024-04-24 02:40:43 Health and Fitness

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The tragic death of actor Luke Perry who suffered a massive stroke in early March is not all that uncommon among relatively young people. According to Science Daily, up to 852,000 people ages 18 to 44 in the United States have suffered a stroke and the number of incidents among that group has increased by as much as 52% between 1996 and 2007, according to the journal, Neurology. A recent study in JAMA Neurology found hospital rates for those suffering ischemic stroke (caused by a narrowing of brain vessels due to hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, etc.) are increasing for men and women under age 45. Ironically, stroke risk is actually on the decline for older Americans with the rate of hospitalization among women 55 to 64 decreasing by 2.2%, so says JAMA Neurology.
So what accounts for the increase in the number young people suffering stroke? According to Michael Tehrani, board-certified internist at Brand New Day, a Medicare Advantage prescription plan available in 12 California counties, several factors are at play.
?Young people typically don?t think of themselves as being vulnerable to stroke as they believe it?s an old person?s medical condition,? explained Tehrani, who said that in addition to ischemia, strokes are also caused by blood clots and bleeding. ?The death of Luke Perry, though, has started a national dialogue on this disturbing trend. What we?re finding is that the same risk factors that cause stroke in older folks also affect young people. Risk factors like high cholesterol and blood pressure that are usually managed in those over 50 oftentimes are not detected in younger adults.?
Terani says that spotting a stroke early is critical to saving patients? lives. Medical professionals point to the acronym F.A.S.T. to help the public take action:
F - facial drooping
A - arm weakness
S - speech difficulty
T - time to call 911
?During a stroke, typically one side of the body is affected causing the face on that side to sag and they often have trouble walking and raising their arm. Also, they will have blurred vision, severe headaches and dizziness,? he said. ?It?s also not uncommon for sufferers to experience sudden confusion, cognitive impairment and slurred speech.?
He went on to say, ?Sometimes the warning signs may last only a few moments and then disappear. These brief episodes, known as transient ischemic attacks or TIAs, are sometimes called ?mini-strokes.? Although brief, they identify an underlying serious condition that isn't going away without medical help. Unfortunately, since they clear up, many people ignore them, but that could be a fatal mistake.?
Some of Brand New Day plans are available without premiums or copayments for primary care doctor visits. For qualifying members, it covers transportation to and from medical appointments; vision, dental and acupuncture services; 24-hour/day nurse and physician line; and health and life coaches. In addition, Brand New Day offers the Embrace Plan for those with heart disease, hypertension and/or diabetes, Bridges for dementia and Alzheimer?s patients and Harmony for those disabled by mental illness including major depression, schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder and paranoid disorder.
Those with chronic illnesses are not only treated medically, but in a variety of other ways including:
? Education about the member?s chronic or ongoing medical conditions and avoidable risks
? Nutrition
? Exercise
? Self-testing and monitoring
? Medication adherence to doctor orders
? Preventive care planning
? Linkage to community support programs
Brand New Day is the Medicare product name of Universal Care, Inc., a privately held California Knox-Keene Healthcare Service Plan licensed by the California Department of Managed Health Care and contracted with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services as a Medicare Advantage contractor. Universal Care, Inc. is owned and operated by an experienced group of managed care executives and physicians. Universal Care, Inc. was founded in 1983. For more information, visit BNDHMO.com