Help Millions of people find the right doctor and care they need, Get immediate care and visit with providers from the comfort of your home, or anywhere, Urgent care centers can be faster and cheaper for situations that are not life threatening, Doctors and patients discuss the latest medical treatments and health tips, Search prescription drugs for why theyre used, side effects and more, Back and Neck Surgery (Except Spinal Fusion), https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20350119, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/stroke/in-depth/stroke-rehabilitation/art-20045172, https://www.memorialmedical.com/services/stroke-services/what-stroke-means/prognosis-and-recovery, https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/All-Disorders/Stroke-Information-Page, https://www.heartandstroke.ca/stroke/recovery-and-support/work-with-your-healthcare-team, https://www.heart.org/-/media/files/affiliates/gra/gra-qsi/2019-scbc-presentations/5--assessing-stroke--scores--scales-v2.pdf?la=en, Your outlook and personality, how you were before the stroke, Your personal motivation to recover and participate in rehabilitation, Hemiplegia, or paralysis on one side of the body, Swinging emotions, inability to control emotions, Medication to dissolve the clot: If you had an, Mechanical removal of the clot: If it is too late for the clot to be dissolved or the blockage is caused by fatty deposits, a cardiovascular or, Surgery may be needed if you had a hemorrhagic stroke, to try to stop the bleeding in the brain. Timeline of the Stroke Prognosis. A mini stroke, or transient ischemic attack (TIA), can happen if the blood supply to part of the brain reduces temporarily. American Heart Association. Living too long: the current focus of medical research on increasing the quantity, rather than the quality, of life is damaging our health and harming the economy. Restoring brain function after a stroke remains a challenge. Life expectancy is a precise technical term referring to the average (arithmetic mean) survival time in a group of similar persons. Be prepared by ensuring that those around you can recognize the symptoms of a stroke and know to call 911 immediately. Once you have had a stroke, you will be followed quite closely by your doctor, even if you have no lasting effects. A brain stroke occurs when oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain becomes blocked by a clot or a blood vessel bleed. However, they are a sign of potentially significant health problems that put a person at a much higher risk of having a major stroke in the future. Read our, Post-Stroke Rehabilitation Programs You May Need. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help Recovery From Stroke. "Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality, with an annual 6 million fatal events worldwide. 8. Dawes RM, Faust D, Meehl PE (1989). Copyright 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. at the time, having a transplant would have given me a life expectancy of around five years. In such cases the calculated figures would be either somewhat pessimistic or optimistic. 2014;38(1):46-54. doi: 10.1159/000364938. Other treatment options include surgery to stop the bleeding. 2020 Jan 29;15(1):e0226324. According to its research, "the mean age of patients presenting for valve surgery is increasing, as is the life expectancy following valve surgery." If you look at the graph above, you can see that life expectancy ranges from 29.9 years to 14.3 years for patients experiencing heart valve surgery between the age range of 50 to 70. Of the remaining, 60% of patients suffering from an ischemic stroke survived one year, but only 31% made it past the five-year mark. This article reviews the prognosis, life expectancy, and side effects of strokes, and what life can look like after a stroke. 2019 Dec;28(12):104450. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 7. Long-term outlook depends on many factors, including the type of stroke, its severity, the treatment used, and your overall health. Once the immediate danger has passed, the process begins to recover from the effects of stroke. A persons life expectancy after a mini stroke reduces by around 4% in the first year following the attack in comparison to people who have not had one. Yet to our knowledge there are no studies reporting life expectancies stratified by both age and severity. Although the members were older, she found that age didnt matter much. Prolonging life at all costs: quantity versus quality. All Rights Reserved. Yet none of these is truly helpful to Mr. Ps family or him. I wanted to be present for my kids and my husband. What Are the Symptoms of a Cerebellar Stroke? Stroke Information Page. The cumulative survival rate among all types of stroke in this study was found to be 48% at five years. Nonetheless, they provide a rational starting point from which further scientific adjustments could be made. At about 40: gain 9 years of life expectancy. Broad statements such as those offered in the Case Study, although correct, are not entirely helpful. Stroke survivors are also at risk of having another stroke in the following years. I remember being there. Many stroke survivors are able to recover functional independence over time, but 25% are left with a minor disability and 40% experience moderate-to-severe disabilities. Nicholas R. Metrus, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist. CrossRef View Record in Scopus Google Scholar. Reprinted by Echo Point Books & Media, 2013. Life expectancy is generally derived using a life table; see the Box for a refresher on this scientific tool. tus of patients 6 months after onset of an ischemic stroke has From the *Life Expectancy Project, San Francisco, California; and Department of Palliative Care, Policy and Rehabilitation, Cicely Saun-dersInstitute,NorthwickParkHospital,Harrow,Middlesex,UK. Neurology 41 years experience. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. Smoking and heart disease and stroke. Every 40 seconds, an American has a stroke. Its hard to tell right away how much a stroke will affect your life, temporarily or permanently, since your outlook depends on the type of stroke you had, where in the brain the blockage or bleed occurred, and how much damage it caused. Box Figure 1. These estimates should be interpreted cautiously. Stroke types. The Korean Version of the Fugl-Meyer Assessment: Reliability and Validity Evaluation. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Life expectancy reflects the average experience of a group of similar individuals. So she decided to attend a local support group in Fort Collins. University of Queensland researchers analysed data from more than 300,000 patients admitted to hospital following a sudden . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Clinical versus actuarial judgment. A recent article 4 on long-term survival after stroke provides life expectancies by age, sex, and severity of disability as measured by the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), the most widely used measure of long-term disability after stroke. Slightly longer survival was found in women than in men when adjusted for age at stroke onset. A year earlier, she became more aware of stroke symptoms after experiencing dizziness. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent. From 2003 to 2012, hospitalizations of women ages 35 to 44 for acute ischemic. In addition, exercising for 2 hours and 30 minutes weekly can help boost heart health and reduce stroke risk. For each type of cancer there are substantial resources documenting the 1- and 5-year survival rates, often stratified by a persons age, sex, race, tumor stage, grade, histology, and treatment. To reduce the likelihood of a second stroke, it helps to focus on the factors that put patients at greater risk. Kati Blocker has always been driven to learn and explore the world around her. She knew the signs of a stroke and called for help immediately. 2018 May;27(5):1326-1337. doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2017.12.021. 2019;50(1):53-61. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.118.022913. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Much of these gains took place more recently. ai thinker esp32 cam datasheet We link primary sources including studies, scientific references, and statistics within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. All types of strokes were considered, along with possible comorbid factors. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. by Fred Rexroat. The assessments also give an idea of what the life expectancy may be. The early risk of stroke is around 49% within 90 days of having a TIA. Doctor's Orders Pave the Way "Stroke is more common in older people, but we are seeing an increase in the risk for much younger people now," said Melinda Tafoya, stroke coordinator for UCHealth in northern Colorado. Time is of the essence, so act FAST when you see the symptoms of a stroke: Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty mean its Time to call 911. However, TIAs can be warning signs that a person is at risk of more serious conditions. Stroke survivors who suffered a second stroke were 2.67 times more likely to die than stroke survivors who did not have a second stroke in the study period. Most often, a mini-stroke occurs suddenly. Yes. WORLD DIABETES REPORT. The likelihood of shortening life expectancy depends on many factors, such as: Efforts were made to recover. By following your treatment plan, you do reduce that risk. This "neuroplasticity" naturally occurs during early development. Also of interest in the life table is the so-called survivorship function, column l(x), which shows the average number of people alive at each age x, following an initial group of 100,000 alive at age 70. Paramedics are trained to recognize stroke symptoms and can alert the correct emergency room that a patient is coming. William C. Lloyd III, MD, FACS. Memorial Medical Center. Between 1950 and 2010, the additional remaining years expected after age sixty-five increase by 4.9 years for males and 5.3 years for females. Almost immediately she can tell if the patient wants to be alone, but many times, patients want to talk. There are several ways people can avoid stroke after a TIA, including altering their diet, getting regular exercise, and stopping smoking. It depends on how well he is cared for, what complications arise, how quickly and properly they are treated, and his general health. SLEEP MORE-WEIGH LESS-LIVE LONGER! Stroke is one of the leading causes of death, taking 140,000 U.S. lives each year. What is the latest research on the form of cancer Jimmy Carter has? Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the site. There is no recent research that has investigated the impact of TIAs on the survival rates of different age groups. By Sarah Jividen, RN In the following 9 years, life expectancy reduces by 20%. Talk with your healthcare provider to find stroke support groups and mental health providers specializing in stroke recovery. Robert Shavelle, PhD, FAACPDM; Jordan Brooks, PhD, MPH; David Strauss, PhD, FASA; and Amytis Towfighi, MD, As the Case Study demonstrates, discussion of survival after stroke can be challenging. 5,15,16,30 Hannerz and Nielsen, 31 using national stroke data in Sweden up to 1993, found an acute stroke to be associated with substantial loss of life expectancy (12 years for those aged 40, 1 year for those . A 2021 study found that about 66% of stroke victims survived past the three-year mark. The median survival time after a first stroke are: at 60-69 years of age-6.8 years for men and 7.4 years for women; at 70-79 years of age-5.4 years for men and 6.4 years for women; and at 80 years and older-1.8 years for men and 3.1 years for women. Although some strokes are devastating from the beginning, the damage from a stroke may be limited with fast treatment. All rights reserved. it is possible to live a life free of heart attacks. eCollection 2020. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. After youve recovered from a stroke, its natural to fear having another one. What is required are all the details concerning survival. A stroke is a frightening and challenging life event. I couldnt make it out. Resilience and Its Association With Activities of Daily Living 3 Months After Stroke. Sarah Jividen, RN, BSN, is a freelance healthcare journalist and content marketing writer at Health Writing Solutions, LLC. Results: It is a truism that an individual patients survival time cannot be predicted with any reasonable degree of precision. Copyright 2023 Healthgrades Marketplace, LLC, Patent US Nos. The heart failure life expectancy calculator is a simple, yet effective, tool for predicting the 1-year and 3-year survival odds of someone with congestive heart failure. 9. As she showered, though, something about her felt odd. 2021 May;42(5):2031-2037. doi: 10.1007/s10072-020-04707-9. For example, 79% of people survive 2 years, 61% survive 3 years, , 5% survive 16 years, and only 1% survive 20 years. But a warning is not a life sentence. Thurston, like many parents of teenagers, was busy at the time running kids to friends houses and to after-school practices. I looked in the mirror and stuck my tongue out, she said. livegreaterhealth.com back with another condition that happens to many people in the world today. Histogram (bar chart) of survival times for men age 70 in the general US population. 2022 Jun 7;11(11):e024992. Some people recover more quickly. Cost-Effectiveness of Cilostazol Added to Aspirin or Clopidogrel for Secondary Prevention After Noncardioembolic Stroke. The type of rehabilitation you may require will depend on the side of the brain that sustained the stroke. Cerebrovasc Dis. A CT scan confirmed a stroke and an MRI showed that her cavernous malformation was not just a few spots but about 20 throughout her brain and brain stem. Dr. Deepak Bhatt answers the question: 'Life Expectancy After Heart Attack?' -- Question: How long is a person expected to live after a heart attack? If we divide every entry in column l(x) by the initial number of 100,000, the new column will start at 1.00 (100%), and decrease with age. She asks them how they are doing and if she can help them with anything. In the remaining intermediate cases, which are quite common in practice, the clinician may not have any known guideposts and, thus, may be reluctant to offer an opinion. Suwanwela NC, Chen CLH, Lee CF, Young SH, Tay SS, Umapathi T, Lao AY, Gan HH, Baroque Ii AC, Navarro JC, Chang HM, Advincula JM, Muengtaweepongsa S, Chan BPL, Chua CL, Wijekoon N, de Silva HA, Hiyadan JHB, Wong KSL, Poungvarin N, Eow GB, Venketasubramanian N; CHIMES-EStudyInvestigators. Meehl PE. National Library of Medicine Response (D) at least provides some context, and is both sufficiently vague and properly worded to avoid the problems raised by (B). Stroke patients are known to have higher mortality rate throughout the follow-up period than the comparable general population. If blood supply is stopped even for a short time, brain damage can occur. Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Treatment involves trying to dissolve the blood clots or fatty deposits, or removing them manually, to allow normal blood flow to return to the brain. Massive Stroke: Types, Recovery, and Long-Term Effects, Damage to the Corona Radiata After Stroke, Signs of Stroke In Men: What You Need to Know, Middle Cerebral Artery Stroke Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment. Thurston began researching support groups and found one in Denver that helps younger stroke survivors. As noted, a single individuals survival time cannot be predicted with any reasonable degree of precision. 5. Balea M, Birle C, Costin C, Marton J, Muresanu IA, Jemna N, Popa LL, Slavoaca D, Rosu OV, Stan A, Vacaras V, Strilciuc S, Muresanu DF. The solution for the practitioner, then, is to rely on the scientific evidence as possible, despite its inherent limitations, in order to convey to the patient what is known about the survival of similarly situated persons. A person may also need medications or other treatments to lower the risk. Strokes are preventable with healthy lifestyle choices, including: No. This program is a great way to make a connection with these patients before they leave the hospital, and it is a good way to invite them into the support group, Tafoya said. Thurston cannot answer medical questions, but she can share her experiences as a stroke survivor. The life-expectancy results in the article were based on a systematic review of the stroke literature including 11 key studies comprising more than 35,000 individuals followed for at least 1 year. Life expectancy after major stroke. About stroke. Prognosis was made from at least 3 months poststroke, following the acute period of increased mortality risk and after most structured rehabilitation programs. (2022). doi: 10.1161/JAHA.121.024992. Epub 2021 Apr 14. Conclusions: Other scales assess your mental status, alertness, if you can perform personal care, and more. 1. What then should be said to Mr. P and his family? For Mr. P it is grade 4, because he cannot walk but retains some ability in self care. Most of the progress in stroke recovery takes place during the first 6 to 12 months after the event. Of course, you may still see improvements over time, but the majority of progress is in the first year. Experiencing a TIA increases the risk of stroke, particularly within the first couple of months following the event. Even your pharmacist should know to protect against any drug interactions or medications that may put you at risk for another stroke, particularly over-the-counter medications or supplements. The worse the lasting effects, the higher the risk of dying earlier than someone who has not had a stroke. Your Guide, 4 Neurologist Tips for People With Tardive Dyskinesia. 7,752,060 and 8,719,052. ucla environmental science graduate program; four elements to the doctrinal space superiority construct; woburn police scanner live. 90 - 94 (40%) 95 - 99 (55%) 100 -106 (85%) In general terms, research shows that in many countries, about 10,000 deaths every year are due to vascular dementia. Kindra, seeing the fear in her sister-in-laws face, called 911. Mr. P is now wheelchair bound, although he retains some ability to care for himself. Post-stroke prognosis and life expectancy depends on several factors, including the type of stroke, its severity, the person's age, and their overall health. It was a bunch of words making no sense.. Find useful tools to help you on a day-to-day basis. Amongst those who survive, not only is the total re. Would you like email updates of new search results? 2022 Feb;43(2):1115-1125. doi: 10.1007/s10072-021-05406-9. More young survivors About 10 percent of all strokes in the United States occur among people 18 to 50 years old. Life Expectancy after Stroke Based On Age, Sex, and Rankin Grade of Disability: A Synthesis These figures demonstrate the importance of rehabilitation following stroke, and can be used in discussion of public policy and benchmarking of future results. To capture more of the survival times, years 0 to 4 could be used, but this would contain only 39% of the observed values. Unfortunately, researchers have observed a wide range of life expectancy changes in stroke patients, but the average reduction in lifespan is nine and a half years.5 CHICAGO - In an examination of long-term mortality after stroke, adults 50 years of age and younger who experienced a stroke had a significantly higher risk of death in the following 20 years compared with the general population, according to a study in the March 20 issue of JAMA. And every day, as a writer for UCHealth, Kati meets inspiring people, learns about life-saving technology, and gets to know the amazing people who are saving lives each day. Although a full recovery is possible after a stroke, it can affect a patient's life expectancy. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The most common ones used during the acute phase, just after you had the stroke, are the Glasgow Coma Scale, the NIH Stroke Scale, the Modified NIHSS Scale, and the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Scale. Strokes can lead to physical, emotional, and behavioral challenges. Sex Adds Years To Life. All Rights Reserved Privacy Policy, http://www.LifeExpectancy.org/asp/stroke/, Robert Shavelle, PhD, FAACPDM; Jordan Brooks, PhD, MPH; David Strauss, PhD, FASA; Amytis Towfighi, MD, Completion of the Etiologic Workup: Roles for Advanced Cardiac Imaging and Long-Term Cardiac Monitoring, Closing Care Gaps by Thinking, Talking, and Treating Migraine, Difficulties in Antithrombotic Choices in Prevention of Stroke Recurrence: Combination Antiplatelet and Anticoagulant Therapies, Resumption of Anticoagulant Therapy Following Ischemic and Hemorrhagic Strokes: Indications and Timing, No Evidence of Harm from Prior Anticoagulant Use in Stroke Patients Given Thrombolysis, Individuals with COVID-19 Who Have Stroke May Have More Bleeding in Brain, In Young Adults, Moderate-to-Heavy Drinking Linked to Higher Risk of Stroke. Survival, causes of death and recurrence up to 3years after stroke: A population-based study. Once the dangers of the stroke have passed, you may then be assessed for functional abilityhow well you function since the stroke. Guillain-Barre syndrome diagnosis: When the bodys immune system attacks the nerves. 2016;4(3):165. Learn more about how this is possible here. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. I cant, I cant, she kept saying her over and over. To begin, it is important to recognize that the life table is completely determined by the annual mortality rates (m) for each age x. She finished showering and headed to the vanity. First, some of the diseases that are closely linked to Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease can mean a lower life expectancy. Signs and symptoms of a stroke can vary between men and women and may include: Sudden numbness, weakness, or inability to move the face, arm, or leg (especially on one side of the body) Confusion . There are also numerous mortality risk indices for general use by clinicians in medical decision making for the geriatric population.3 Until recently nothing remotely similar existed for stroke, although it is the fifth leading cause of death in the US, second leading cause of death in the world, and the leading cause of disability. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. SSTAR is a volunteer program in which stroke survivors meet one-on-one with patients and their families after theyve experienced a stroke. Almost two thirds of acute stroke patients fail to survive more than a decade and have high risk of recurrence, prompting researchers to call for better patient care. If this is done quickly enough and it is effective, there may be limited or no lasting damage to the brain tissue. Depending on the type of stroke, doctors may choose from a variety of stroke treatment options, including: Your doctor may recommend additional treatments based on your individual stroke and medical history. Remaining life expectancy is a key measure of health. Even better, she gets to share their stories with the world. By contrast, the very same studies show that those with mRS grade 4 have nearly 3 times the risk compared with mRS grade 0, and those with mRS 5 have 5 times the risk. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Anyone who has stroke symptomseven temporarilyneeds to seek medical care as soon as possible. Any medical information published on this website is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. Stroke survivors are also at risk of having another stroke in the following years. If you think about it, that is basically 1 in every 4 people that have a hemorrhagic stroke. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The figures and tables here, together with the online calculator, can provide clinicians with the best currently available evidence on the prognosis of their stroke patients. About 750,000 new strokes occur in the United States each year. 2021 Apr;45(2):83-98. doi: 10.5535/arm.20225. MNT is the registered trade mark of Healthline Media. A 65-year-old male asked: . If the person does not receive treatment, their risk of stroke within the following 5 years is around 2030%. Medical professionals can help a person take steps to reduce their risk of stroke. She has over a decade of direct patient care experience working as a registered nurse specializing in neurotrauma, stroke, and the emergency room. Survival curve for men age 70 in the US. At about 50: gain 6 years of life expectancy. Lee S, Smith A, Widera E, Yourman L, Schonberg M, Ahalt C. What is ePrognosis? Rehabilitation may include working with a few different types of specialists, including: Many stroke patients also struggle with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. Eriksson M, Norrving B, Ternt A, Stegmayr B. Functional outcome 3 months after stroke predicts long-term survival. It's a second chance, a wake-up call an opportunity to think more about your future, change your lifestyle and take steps to prevent a stroke. Strokes are different for every person, and that can make people feel like they are the only one going through it, Tafoya said. Background: A CT scan showed spots on her brain. Causes and effects of my disturbing little book. To give an opinion on an individuals likely prognosis requires 1) sufficient information to identify factors, features, or characteristics of the individual known to be related to survival and 2) identified groups (cohorts) of similarly situated persons actual survival experience. In the general population, the survival rate after an incident stroke is decreasing each year after by 10%, with the cause of death usually being a recurrent stroke, a cardiovascular event, or complications as a result of the first stroke ().The predictors of poor outcome after a stroke are male sex, ischemic heart disease, older age, and the presence of diabetes (6,7), with diabetes being . Brain swelling and increased intracranial pressure can cause further damage and seizures, and needs to be treated quickly.She was out of the hospital in just a few days and didnt have any visible deficits from the stroke, but emotionally, she was hurting. After a stroke, Thurston said, it is important to have someone to talk to who understands and thats what Thurston and three other stroke survivor volunteers provide. N-Pep-12 supplementation after ischemic stroke positively impacts frequency domain QEEG. Nothing else would come out. For example, l(80)=69,580 indicating that roughly 70% of men age 70 will survive to age 80. Even in those who have suffered a stroke more than a year ago, the chances of death remain two times higher than non-patients. J Insur Med 2000;32:217-225. How well you recover from a stroke depends on many things, aside from the severity and location of the stroke itself. MeSH However, older research from 2011 indicates that TIAs have a minimal effect on life expectancy in people aged 50 and under, but can significantly reduce life expectancy in those over 65. Responses (A) and (B) are correct but decidedly unhelpful. A heatstroke is an illness that occurs when the body's temperature rises rapidly and the body is unable to control its temperature. and transmitted securely. Disclaimer. Slurred and jumbled speech is one of the signs of a stroke and only one sign of a stroke is needed to take action. Neurol Sci. Chronic small vessel disease affects clinical outcome in patients with acute striatocapsular stroke. Various factors can affect a persons life expectancy, including their age, overall health, and severity of the stroke. Science. Heart and Stroke. In the highlighted row, for Rankin grade 4, observe that 100%79%=21% will live 0 to 2 more years, 18% will live 2 to 4 years, 16% will live 4 to 6 years, 13% will live 6 to 8 years, 10% will live 8 to 10 years, 8% will live 10 to 12 years, 6% will live 12 to 14 years, and 8% will live 12 or more years. Within the first months after a stroke, certain parts of the damaged brain tissue may heal themselves. Damage to the left side of the brain can leave you with difficulty moving the right side of the body. Stroke information page. Box Figure 2. The .gov means its official. Stroke rehabilitation: What to expect as you recover. Hemorrhagic stroke was found to result in a lower survival rate or lower level of functionality than ischemic stroke. Can diet help improve depression symptoms? All, but about a quarter of strokes happen to people over the age of 65. Sometimes its about their event, sometimes they want to know my story, but sometimes they just want to talk to forget about the thought that they are here and had a stroke.. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our. If a person has conditions that raise the risk of stroke, such as diabetes or heart disease, they should receive regular checkups and follow their doctors advice and treatment recommendations. I remember the tech holding my leg, telling me she was there and that I was going to be OK, she said. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226324. Accessed January 9, 2020. The stroke article Thurston had read stressed the importance of knowing stroke symptoms, especially the acronym FAST Face, Arms, Speech, and Time.