April 4, 2019 – Sudden Stroke

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Anchor lead: What can the recent death of Luke Perry teach us about stroke? Elizabeth Tracey reports

Luke Perry’s recent death from a sudden stroke was shocking, especially in light of his age. At 52, Perry was not in a risk category for such an event. Patricia Davidson, dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and a cardiovascular disease expert, says there are some important legacies we can all learn from.

Davidson: Understanding warning signs is a very important part of any cardiovascular disease. We know from heart attack that the signs are not the same for every person, similarly for stroke. There are definitely warning signs for stroke, changes in vision, weakness in limbs, people sometimes talk about just this fogginess, it really comes to understanding your own body, how you feel, it’s really important thinking about what are the risk factors? :31

Davidson emphasizes that the vast majority of risk factors are modifiable, so assessing them for each individual is crucial, as is seeking immediate attention when stroke is suspected. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.