(No subject)

[Guest guest]

This is some of the information I saw on an upcoming Women and Stroke

dialogue event hosted by hospitals across the country on May 1 and 2,

2007. It says to contact your local hospital for the times. Thought

you might be interested.

 

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Most women believe their greatest health threat is breast cancer, but

in reality, twice as many die from stroke. To encourage greater

awareness about stroke and to help save women's lives, on May 1 and

May 2, hospitals and communities across the nation will be

participating in Women & Stroke Dialogue: A National Broadcast and

Local Town-Hall Meeting for Consumers and Providers in Conjunction

with National Stroke Awareness Month.

CRM Healthcare™, an independent health education provider, is

sponsoring this free community education presentation to help change

women's behavior regarding stroke and vascular health. Its goal in

addressing this largely unrecognized health crisis is to close the

gap in knowledge about women and stroke: its prevalence, signs and

symptoms, risk factors, and the need for prompt treatment if a stroke

is suspected. While the program focuses on the more than 150 million

women in the United States, it does not exclude men.

More than one million Americans have a stroke or mini-stroke

each year, and there are more than 4 million stroke survivors, many

with disabilities. Women in particular are hit hard by stroke.

According to the National Stroke Association, annually, of the

Americans who have a stroke, 39 percent who die are men, while 62

percent are women. The Women & Stroke Dialogue initiative is

designed to reduce the devastation of stroke by actively involving

the patient and community through increasing awareness and changing

behavior when stroke strikes.

Women & Stroke Dialogue will feature a May 1-2 satellite

presentation on the latest stroke information by distinguished

neurologist Marilyn M. Rymer, M.D., a national expert on stroke and

medical director of Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City, Mo. As a

founder and director of the Mid-America Brain and Stroke Institute at

Saint Luke's, Dr. Rymer and the hospital have gained international

recognition for innovative research and treatment of strokes. Women

& Stroke Dialogue also will include case studies featuring patients

who have survived a stroke.

 

Immediately following the broadcast, attendees have the

opportunity to dialogue about stroke with healthcare professionals

and consumers or patients at participating hospitals in their own

communities. As part of the program, hospitals may also provide

interventions to change behaviors immediately through screenings,

health assessments and physician referrals.

" Women tend to think stroke is a man's disease, " says

Christiane Dahl, vice president of marketing for CRM

Healthcare. " But the truth is, each year more women than men die

from stroke. By participating in this national event, hospitals are

reaching out to women who don't know they are at risk for stroke.

Most strokes – and the debilitating consequences of a stroke – can be

avoided. We want to engage people in interactive, ongoing exchanges

about health. "

Stroke can happen to anyone at any age. More than 30 percent

of strokes occur in women under the age of 65. This program will

explore the experiences of an 18-, 28-, and 53-year old female stroke

survivor.

CRM Healthcare developed Women & Stroke Dialogue as a shared

exploration toward greater understanding and connection around this

important health issue, with the goal of improving outcomes for this

major cause of disability and death.

Women tend to have less traditional stroke risk factors and

symptoms, which makes it more difficult to prevent and treat in

time. Special stroke risk factors for women include birth control

pills, pregnancy, migraines, menopause/hormone replacement therapy,

thick waists and aneurysms. Unique stroke symptoms women may report

include sudden face and limb pain, nausea, general weakness and

palpitations, for example.

Women & Stroke Dialogue is open to every healthcare

organization in the country to help women in their respective

communities learn about their risks for stroke and their role in this

pressing health issue facing women. Individuals who are unable to

attend the live program or who wish to view the program again can do

so by visiting www.crmhealth.com.

Women & Stroke Dialogue is supported by an educational grant

from Genentech. For more information on Women & Stroke Dialogue,

individuals are encouraged to contact their local hospitals to

determine the times and dates of the program.