Knowledge of stroke warning signs low among US women

Many women in the United States are unaware of the warning signs of a stroke, according to research presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Sessions.

Eighty-four percent of women surveyed by phone knew to call 911 if they were experiencing signs of stroke. However, the knowledge of other stroke warning signs such as severe headache and dizziness were low.

The findings come from a survey conducted by the AHA and American Stroke Association in 2012 on CV and stroke awareness among 1,205 women aged 25 years or older (17% black; 17% Hispanic; 12% other nonwhite races/ethnicities).

Knowledge of stroke warning signs among those surveyed was as follows:

Sudden weakness or numbness of face or limb on one side: 51%.
Loss of or trouble with talking or understanding speech: 44%.
Sudden severe headache: 23%.
Unexplained dizziness: 20%.
Sudden dizziness or loss of vision: 18%.

Results did not vary by race/ethnicity except for loss of or trouble with talking or understanding speech, which was recognized by 48% of white women vs. 36% of Hispanic women (P<.05), the researchers found.

Twenty percent of women surveyed did not know any stroke warning signs. This was higher in Hispanic women (25%) than white women (18%) or black women (19%), but was not significant.

Lori Mosca

“The lack of recognition of stroke signs and symptoms could be a significant barrier to reducing death and disability related to stroke in the United States,” investigator Lori Mosca, MD, MPH, PhD, of Columbia University Medical Center, said in a press release. “This is critically important because delays in getting care costs lives and hinders functional recovery.”

In a commentary posted on the AHA website, Ileana L. Piña, MD, professor of medicine, epidemiology and population health and associate chief of academic affairs at Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, N.Y., said stroke awareness may improve if the public is informed about similarities between MI and stroke.

“The mechanisms that cause a stroke are very similar to what’s underlying a heart attack,” said Piña, a member of Cardiology Today’s Editorial Board. “People seem to understand the word ‘heart attack,’ because they’ve suffered it in their families or seen it on TV … but we haven’t seen a lot of [strokes represented] on TV. We’re so worried about chest pain and getting patients in quickly into the emergency department so they don’t lose their heart muscle. This is very similar. If you recognize the signs of this brain attack, getting the patient in sooner is saving brain tissue.”

For more information:

Mochari-Greenberger H. Abstract #MP45. Presented at: the American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism 2014 Scientific Sessions; March 18-21, 2014; San Francisco.

Disclosure: The researchers and Piña report no relevant financial disclosures.